The Number 22
by Leader of the Bronies
Summary: Twilight's life is turned upside-down when she recieves a book for her birthday that seems to mirror her life almost entirely. As she tries to solve the book's mystery, her friends try to save her from the horrors of its topic: the number 22.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Hello, everypony! This is Leader of the Bronies here with my first story ever! Please leave your comments, whether they be praising or criticizing. I will also recommend you tell everyone you know about the story, whether they be on Deviantart, FictionPress, Equestria Daily, FIM Fiction, etc. The more comments I get, the better! I plan to make this a multi-chapter story if all goes well. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic or The Number 23, the cool movie this story is based on .**

**The Number 22**

**Chapter 1**

_A week ago...the only thing that surprised me was the fact that it was my birthday. I guess you could say that the day didn't exactly set the "birthday mood" as Pinkie Pie called it. Funny...I still remember what Pinkie Pie used to say about a birthday. She would say that it was the one day of the year made especially for you. A day made entirely for me...a day that I now wished have never happened. _

**February 2**

"Excuse me...Ms. Sparkle?"

"...Huh? What is it, Mrs. Cake?"

"I've told you three times already what I've wanted! I want you to deliver this cake to Doctor Whooves for me. You know how much he likes his cakes."

"Ugh...why can't Pinkie Pie take care of it?"

"Twilight Sparkle! You know as well as I do that Pinkie Pie has been in bed sick for the past week!"

"What?...Oh, yeah..."

_I had been so busy studying lately that my mind had had to make room for my recently acquired information. So, it had to erase certain memories from my mind...like the fact that one of my best friends was sick._

"Okay, Mrs. Cake, I'm on it!"

_She gave me the coldest stare I had ever gotten from her...Well, actually, the second coldest. See, she was mad at me for something I had done a couple of months back...I guess that's where my story really began._

**December 22**

"Twilight!...Twilight!"

"Yeah, Spike!"

"I think I've come down with a fever!"

"Oh, no! Come here and let me have a look!"

_By looking at the thermometer, I could tell that he used the old "Stick the Thermometer in the Oatmeal" trick because there was oatmeal dripping off the end. I guess I realized then that he didn't care about going to Mrs. Cake's Hearth's Warming Eve party. See, she may be the caretaker of Ponyville's greatest party-thrower, but she certainly didn't acquire the same skill. She always wanted to plan her holiday parties herself, without Pinkie Pie's help. Everypony that went knew that her parties failed in comparison to Pinkie's parties. But, everypony also knew that if they told her what they really thought about her parties she would never let them order desserts from her bakery again. So, I decided to let Spike stay while I went myself. I knew someone had to take cookies for the party...Funny. I now wish that I could've said "Screw the cookies! I'm staying here too, Spike!" If I'd have done that, then I wouldn't have had to go to the party and make her mad...I want two words on my tombstone..."What if?"_

"Oh, Twilight, I'm so glad you could make it!"

"I wouldn't have missed it for the world, Mrs. Cake."

_I tried my best to enjoy the party, but even Pinkie Pie, who was forced to stand on the sidelines, had to agree with me that the party could definetly use some "touches." I had brought a book with me, so I decided to read my way through the party. I got some apple cider to drink while reading. However, I was so into my book that I had forgotten the problem I have with cider...Twelve glasses later, the words of the book were a 3-D movie to me._

"Twilight, darling, could you do me a favor and deliver the goody bags to everypony that couldn't come."

"...Hey, pipe down lady! I'm trying to ride the words!"

_My actions that day got Mrs. Cake working me several hours a day every day of the weekend. She said it was to pay for all the "precious cider" I wasted, but I know that she's just doing it to get back at me. And if I hadn't have had to work that day, I would have been at home reading...never expecting the events that were to soon transpire._

**February 2**

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

"Doctor Whooves, hello! I've got your cake here!...Hello!"

_I waited a few minutes but got no response. I was about to just leave it on his doorstep when I heard the growling. I spun around to find the angriest black dog I'd ever seen. His eyes were like those of a demon, looking right through your soul. I was afraid for the cake...so I said the only thing I could think of._

"...Umm...Good doggy?"

"RRRRRRR...RAAAARRRRWWWW!"

_I had no time to react as the dog lunged at me. Knocking me to the ground, I witnessed as he tore the box apart, helping himself afterwards to the totally-ruined cake. My body filled with anger as I imagined Mrs. Cake's reaction. There would go about a thousand more of my weekends. My horn glowed bright as I started to aim my knock-out spell at the dog. I was gonna make him pay for what he did. But, as soon as I began to focus, he started to run away...Now...I regret chasing him more than anything._

"Hey, you stupid mutt, get back here!"

_After chasing him for what seemed like hours, he led me to the Ponyville Cemetery. That place had always spooked me, but I was determined to catch that dog._

"Come on out, ya stupid dog! I'm not leaving until you do!"

_I saw a movement out of the corner of my eye, one of which I immediately followed. It led me right in front of a grave. One of a "Laura Toffee." I considered her lucky...at least she didn't have to deal with stress anymore. After failing to find the dog, I decided to give up and head back to Mrs. Cake's to accept my fate. However, on the way out, I discovered a dog tag lying near the entrance. I figured it belonged to that dog. It read "Ned"_

"Ned?...Nasty Evil Dog. Yeah. I think that's what I'm gonna call you from now on. And the next time I see you, you're gonna be Ned with two d's...Nasty Evil _Dead_ Dog."

_I immediately realized that I was supposed to meet Rarity at the local bookstore and then head to my house for my party. I decided to call Mrs. Cake on a payphone when I got to the store and tell her what happened there. I didn't want to dissappoint Rarity. As I left, I didn't notice Ned staring at me from afar._

"Rarity! Sorry I'm late!"

"Oh, that's quite alright dear! I was just browsing throught the store's vast selection of literature when I came across something interesting."

"Really? What?"

"This."

_She pulled out a blood-red book from one of the store's plastic bags, meaning she had already purchased it. It was titled "The Number 22" and subtitled "A Horrifying Oddyssey by Topsy Kretts."_

"I already bought it for you. Happy birthday!"

"Oh, Rarity, thank you! I can't wait to see what it's about."

"It doesn't have a summary on the back, but I did skim through the first page. It had a very sincere and frightening message on the first page."

"Really?"

_Picking it up with my magic, I opened the book and read the message._

"**My fellow reader, before you thrust yourself into this frightening tale of horror and mystery, I warn you that if the characters in this book relate themselves in any way to any ponies or animals in your life, do not read any further.**"

"Spooky, huh?"

"Yeah."

_Flipping over to the first chapter, I found the title to be "The Dog Next Door."_

"The Dog Next Door? That's wierd."

"What is it, darling?"

"The picture of that dog looks a lot like the dog that used to live next door to me when I lived my childhood in Canterlot."

"Hmm...odd...Oh my goodness! I hate to interrupt your memories, Twilight, but we're going to be late for the party! Let's get going!"

"...Oh...okay..."

_As we dashed off to the library, I failed to remember to call Mrs. Cake. Little did I know that her angry lecture to me would be nothing compared to the horrors my birthday present would bring me._

"Twilight! I'm so glad you could make it! I was just about to show everypony my new trick!"

"Um, Rainbow Dash, there are two things I'd like to point out. (1 This is _my _birthday party, so obviously I would be here and (2 you will not be doing any tricks here because this is _my _house!"

"Oh...he he...right. Sorry, everypony! Maybe some other time!"

"AWWWW!"

_As the party progressed, I had a fun time eating cake, playing Pin the Tail on the Pony, and getting presents. But all I could think about was the book. It had drawn itself a place in my mind and now I couldn't stop thinking about it. So, after I finally got everyone(including Rainbow Dash) to leave, I began on the book._

**Chapter 1**

**The Dog Next Door**

**You can call me Hoofling. That's not my real name...but I like it better. I got it from a book I knew as a child. **_**Hoofling at the Zoo**_**. I think that was my first book. My mother would read it to me all the time...Funny...I don't even remember what it was about. I just remember the name...Hoofling.**

_I put down the book for a moment as a though flashed into my mind. My mother had read the same book to me as a child...and I'm pretty sure it was also the first book I had ever known...Freaky. I had no idea how much more freaky it was gonna get._

**My childhood was nothing special. The stork dropped me off in the fancy-pants kingdom of Canterlot. All of the other kids stayed there, becoming part of the kingdom's higher society, but I didn't want to spend my life in that fru-fru place. I wanted to live somewhere all my own. My father was an accountant. I guess he thought I would someday step into his shoes and be one too. But, on my eight birthday, I dissappointed him by telling my mom I wanted to be a researcher...or maybe a librarian. This fueled his hatred for our next-door neighbor, Lady Gumdrops, who blamed my newly-wanted future on the fact that I had spent almost every day of my childhood spying on her. I knew that I could write a research paper on her strange behavior. She had a dog, one that my dad thought of as "pure mischief", that would come into our yard every day, do his business, and run back to the house. I was told never to cross the fence over into her yard...But, on my eight birthday,...I broke that rule. As I followed the dog up her creaky stairs, I realized that the house's outside looks did not match with its inside. While the outside was brand new, the inside was old, dusty, and dark. It was as if no one had lived there for years. Then, when I got to her bedroom, I saw it. Lady Gumdrops was lying on her bead, completely motionless, covered in blood. She had multiple stab wounds in her chest and neck. The moment I saw her dead body, the first one I'd seen in my life, my heart **_**raced**_**. The police labeled it as a suicide, but my mind wouldn't let me believe that. I imagined her being killed by an insane lover. That adrenaline rush of imagination I got that day drove me to become a full-time researcher. A later encounter with Princess Celestia at the Summer Sun Celebration inspired me to also learn magic, making me double busy. Did I forget to mention I was a unicorn? Oh, well, you know now.**

"Oh...my...gosh"

_This book had not only taken memories from my life, but had imitated them. While not every fact was correct, this book was almost an exact copy of my childhood. And, like the character felt in the book, I was immediately filled with adrenaline._

**End of Chapter 1**

**Author's Other Note: Well, that's the end of Chapter 1...as stated above. I'll start on the second one immediately. Don't forget to leave comments.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Thanks for the comments! It feels good to be reviewed by people I don't even know! Please tell your friends about this.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic or The Number 23, the cool movie this story is based on .**

**The Number 22**

**Chapter 2**

_I had to find out the truth about the book. I knew that, somehow, the book contained a message hidden only for me. I mean, come on, it was speaking of my childhood for Celestia's sake!...However, a visit from my friends changed my decision...but only for a short time._

**February 3**

"Twilight!...Twilight, deary, are you home? Please open the door!"

CCCCCRRRRRREEEEEAAAAAAKKKKKKK

"Yes?"

"Twilight, dear, I've been worried about you. I woke up last night to take Opalscene out for a walk when, out of the corner of my eye, I happened to see your treehouse lit up with your bedroom light. I walked over to investigate and, not wanting to barge in, decided to use my horn to...um..."

"Wait a minute! I know what kind of magic you're capable of, Rarity! You were using the eaves-dropping spell, weren't you?"

"...Um...well...eaves-dropping's such a strong word..."

"What exactly did you hear?"

"Well...I heard you pacing around the room, talking to yourself the whole while."

"You heard what I was saying?"

"...Yes...and we came here to see what you were talking about."

"Wait a second. You said _we_...who might _we _be?"

_Just then, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie came in throught the still-open doorway._

"_We _meaning _us_," spoke Applejack.

"Twilight," whispered Fluttershy, "According to what Rarity told us, you were mumbling something like...um..."

"_The book knows_," finished Rainbow Dash.

"What exactly does that mean, dearie?" asked Rarity.

_I started to wonder what I was going to say. I mean, haven't you ever had a time when you had a secret that you didn't what anyone else to know...but everyone was pressuring you to let it out? I prayed that I could choose the right words...words that wouldn't turn my friends against me and make them send me to a doctor...Actually, to tell the truth, I was wanting to just lie...Lie to make everything sound normal...Lie to get them out of my house and away from me...Lie to allow myself free time to explore the origins of the book...All I had to do was fib...but the truth just sort of came out._

"...Guys...I recieved a book from Rarity as a birthday present..."

"Oh, you mean that blood-red book?" asked Pinkie. "The Number 22?"

"...Um...yes! Pinkie, how did you know about that? Did your Pinkie sense tell you about it?"

"Nope. I just saw the cover when you brought it to the party."

"Oh...right..."

"Darling," continued Rarity, "What exactly is it about the book that's bothering you?"

"...Well, the book seems to...and I know this is gonna sound totally crazy,..._know_ a lot about my childhood."

"That's your problem, Twilight!" smirked Rainbow Dash. "You bring us down here to tell us that a book seems to know what you were like as a baby? That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard!"

"Rainbow Dash!" yelled Applejack. "Now look, sugarcube. I know you tend to do a lot'a studying and things seem to get stuck in yer head, but I think a book knows less about you than a total stranger."

"No, no, this is different! In that book, the main character said her favorite childhood book was _Hoofling at the Zoo_!"

"So?" asked Rainbow Dash

"So!...My mother read that same book to me as a young filly!"

"Well, that doesn't prove anything, Twilight," spoke Rarity, "I'm sure lots of fillies had that book read to them."

"...Uh...not really."

"Nope."

"Nuh-uh."

"Nada."

"...Well, some help you guys are."

"And get this, guys. The character used to live in Canterlot, which she despised, had a neighbor named Mrs. Gumdrops, who had a dog, and her father was an accountant! My father was an accountant! I used to live in Canterlot...and I didn't like it because it was too fancy for my taste! I had a neighbor named Lady Gumdrops...who had a dog named Chief!"

"Wait a minute," interrupted Applejack. "You never said the dog's name was Chief."

"Well, in the story, the character's father thought of the dog as "pure mischief." My dad used to call the dog Ms. Chief, since it was a female."

"Well," responded Applejack, "I do admit that is kinda wierd...but I still don't think that book's got any mystical powers or anything like that."

"Yes, Twilight," Rarity agreed, "A book is an inanimate object. Whatever descriptions it has that may be coincidentally similiar to your past years do not imply the fact that it somehow _knows_ about you."

"I like my pep-talk better," replied Applejack, "A lot less big words."

"Maybe you guys are right. Maybe I'm just overlooking this a bit too much. I mean, come on, a book doesn't know anything about me. Books are meant to be read as literature, not worshipped as gods."

"Exactly, darling."

"Darn-tootin'!"

"...Um...yes."

"Eh, whatever."

"Don't worry, you guys. I won't stress myself out anymore. In fact, I think I'll read a little bit further into it. I'm sure that, once I read a little more, the similarities between itself and my life will disappear."

"Good thinking, Twilight," cheered Rarity.

_After my friends left, I did as I said I would do. I pulled out the book, sat down on my bed, and began to read further into the story._

**Chapter 2**

**Orlando**

**Fourteen years later, I was different...but yet the same. I wasn't the 8-year-old Canterlot girl I used to be. I was a 22-year-old risk-taking, trouble-shooting researcher...who, unfortunately, still lived in Canterlot. Hey, sometimes you can't choose what happens in the future. But, anyways, since the fru-fru city was the best place to do my job, I got over the fact that I still didn't like it that well. It took a while, but I eventually got used to it...And that's when I met **_**him**_**...The most handsome stallion I had ever seen in my life...That was partially because I was kind of a tomboy who didn't hang around a lot of guys in my life. But now...now, one was walking right up to me seemingly out of nowhere. Ah, yes, I remember it well. I had just gotten through researching the causes of house fires when he appeared at the scene. He was the neighbor of the burned house's inhabitants who dialed 9-1-1 as soon as he saw the blaze. Everything about him was illuminated by the still-burning house.(The fire department had just arrived.) In fact, I don't believe there was one spot on his body hidden in darkness. That meant I could see everything...his tan skin, his pencil-thin mustache, and his muscular physique. Yep...I knew Celestia was watching over me that night, because, even with me being less than 20 feet from the blaze, I managed not to sweat. At first, we didn't say anything to each other...we would only stare...After about 2 minutes of that, he finally broke the conversation by asking me some questions about the research I was doing.(I don't remember what they were, but I guess there are more important things to discuss.) I answered them as honestly as I could, daring not to leave out anything, as if I was hooked up to a lie detector machine. Finally, after a long conversation, he invited me to his apartment for dinner. That night, I put on my best dress(The one I had never tried on before.) and made my way to the address he gave me. When I got there, he had a fire lit, romantic music playing, and the table set. He was standing in the middle of the main room with a rose stuck in his mouth...After what seemed like hours, I finally woke up in his bed with him snuggled up beside me...Then I realized something...He had never even told me his name. When I asked him, it only took one word for my body to become entranced...Orlando.**

_After I finished the chapter, I threw the book hard against the wall. I wanted that thing as far away from me as possible. Sure, my friends had made me forget about worrying...but it didn't last long. The book had yet again described almost entirely accurately an important event in my past...In this case, my first love. I was determined to get a good night's sleep...determined to keep the book out of my mind...but I failed._

"Alright, Twilight...you've had a rough day and now you're ready to replenish your energy for tomorrow with a good night's rest."

_It was as if the book had a magnetic force that was pulling me in. I couldn't stop myself from getting out of bed._

"No...no, stop!"

_As I was walking over to it, my body began trying to fight back. But, just like me, it failed._

"This can't be happening!...I CAN RESIST!...I MUST RESIST! NOOOOOOO!"

_After getting to it, I reached down and picked it up.. My body seemed to scream inside as I brought it back to bed with me. Part of me wanted to get it away...but the other part...the stronger part...wanted me to keep reading...and it did._

End of Chapter 2!

**Author's Other Note: I know this probably isn't near as good as the first one. But, don't worry! I've got much more horror to come!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Thanks for more reviews! And, on the advice of one, I will try to be more descriptive. Also, I want to point out that this story is a movie in the Mane 6's universe. It's not their actual life, but it does use them as characters.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic or The Number 23, the cool movie this story is based on .**

**The Number 22**

**Chapter 3**

_I was being dragged against my will...unable to do anything as the book pulled me to it with its magnetic field. My mind (the only thing that I had under my control) was trying to formulate a plan, but the book seemed to try and block my creative thoughts and replace it with those of it. The book wanted me thinking about it and it only. However, being the Element of Magic, I managed to use a mind-clearing spell to give myself a few moments of peace...a few moments to clear my head and think...without "it" thinking for me. The spell payed off as I imagined myself in a clear white room that contained nothing...It was just me and the walls...nothing else. I knew that, back in my normal state of mind, I was still being controlled. Luckily, though, the spell gives you a few minutes to think clearly in your new state of mind, while, in actual time, only a few seconds passes. However, I knew I had to act quick and think of what I had to do._

**"Okay, Twilight, let's go over the facts here: (A You own a book that almost accurately describes your personal childhood and young adult years and (B Your friends tried to assure you there was nothing to worry about the content, but now you are being controlled by the book itself...And now...the only thing I have to decide is...WHAT AM I GOING TO DO?"**

_I screamed and screamed inside my mind, knowing all the while no one could hear me. I was free to express myself and let out all my held-in emotions...but only for a short time._

**"...Wait...I've got it! I'll just return to my original plan: going to the bookstore I got it from and researching its origins. If anyone else has had the same problem I've had with it, I'm sure it's in a book or document or something...and I'm not going to let it ruin my life anymore!"**

_My time was up as I returned to the real world. My hands were turning the pages as I awoke. When I finally adjusted my vision, I found myself to be at Chapter 3._

"Alright, it's obvious the book wants me to keep reading...So...if I just do as it says with no questions asked, it won't try anymore of that "magnetic pull" stuff again and I can continue on just like I was doing. And then, when its guard is down, I can go to the bookstore and track down its origins...and hopefully return it. I hope I saved the receipt."

_But there was one thing that was still bothering me...How had it known about Orlando? I mean, sure he was my first love...but I never told anyone about him...not even my parents. And this book had did far more than describe his features...it described our first night together._

"Well, whatever sick and twisted mind games this book is playing, I'm not following them. You hear that, ya dusty old piece of literary trash? You _are not_ gonna best me!"

**Chapter 3**

**The Italian Blonde**

**My relationship with Orlando grew even stronger over the next few weeks. With each night, I grew closer to him than I had to anyone else. And I felt that he felt the same way. However, even though I was having the time of my life, a certain assignment caught me by surprise...and that's when the terror really began...It was about four weeks after I met Orlando. We were both very happy together, never getting bored with each other. In fact, it seemed like every day we were discovering something new about each other. Although, I still kept my job so I often had to leave him in the afternoon. And one afternoon...**_**that **_**afternoon...was a special one. And not just because it was my birthday. I heard a call made to the police over the scanner. (I kept a scanner to keep myself informed on all the good research opportunities.) It was an elderly woman calling in from her apartment. At first, I was thinking that she was just another one of those kooky old ladies who didn't know what they were talking about. But, when she spoke of her next-door neighbor hanging his head through a noose while standing on a chair, I knew it was no joke. The tone of her voice just couldn't be a joke. I was always fascinated with suicide...not because of the different ways of doing it, but because of what led ponies to do it. I knew this was a perfect opportunity. So, after telling Orlando good-bye, I set out for the address. When I got there, there was yellow tape up everywhere. Police guards were waving ponies back. I managed to slip past them and under the tape when someone got into a fight with one of the cops. I feel sorry that he got tazered, but I knew that his pain worked itself out for my need. I reached the destination floor: the top one. When I walked inside, the scene immediately set itself into my mind: a bare-white room with a brown chair in the middle. And, of course, on top of the chair was the neighbor. It was a blonde male, appearing to be in his mid-20's that had his neck hung through the noose. Right before I could get to him, he started to speak.**

**"Come any closer and I'll do it."**

**"...Oh, sure. But, I don't think that would make me very happy. It's my birthday today, you know?"**

**"Oh, don't try none of that stuff on me! I know you "persuaders" are all the same. You tell us stuff like "this isn't the right choice" and that we "should look to the future." Well, ya know what? Screw you guys!"**

**"...Ya know...I wasn't gonna try to persuade you like that. I was just gonna warn you that some people who hang themselves tie the noose wrong...Yep, they don't tie it tight enough...and they end up with a permanent necklace."**

**"You think I didn't tie this right?"**

**"I really don't know,...but I don't think you're the kind of guy who would take such a big chance like that."**

**This seemed to strike something in him, for he smiled, pulled the noose off, and allowed me to help him down.**

**"Is it really your birthday?"**

**"...Yep."**

**We spent the next few hours talking...but the funny thing was that I never remembered to ask him about what I'd come there for in the first place: to figure out what causes people to commit suicide. But, I did learn that he was Italian and that he could play guitar. Yeah, we had a pretty civilized, normal conversation...until he started tearing off the wallpaper...It turns out my question that I hadn't remembered to ask was gonna be answered.**

**"It's this number!...Twenty-two!"**

**At first, I didn't know what he was talking about...but then he explained. Once again, he answered my question.**

**"This number is everywhere!...And I mean "everywhere." Driver's licenses, pages of books, even my name! It was in the words that I spoke, the pieces of music I played...everything! You know what my favorite color is?...Green! G is the seventh letter in the alphabet. R is the eighteenth, E is the fifth, and N is the fourteenth. Seven plus eighteen plus five plus five plus fourteen is forty-nine. "Green" has five letters. Forty-nine minus five is forty-four...and fourty-four is divisible by twenty-two!"**

**Underneath the wallpaper was multiple writings of the number twenty-two. Some were math problems that equaled it, while others...were problems I didn't even get. I was starting to get both creeped out and curious about his obsession with the number. I didn't know what to say since I wasn't familiar with a situation like this. So, I asked the only thing that came to mind.**

**"Got any more coffee?"**

**We continued to discuss things. He started off talking about the number, but soon stopped and went on to focus on other things. However, one thing he said about the number did fascinate me. He said that his dad had went through the same thing while he was growing up. He supposedly grew near insanity when he finally decided that, in order to protect his son from the curse, he would kill himself and his wife...and he did. He shot her in the head and then blew his own brains out. Although, according to him, the curse was still passed on to him.**

**"I guess Daddy didn't love me enough."**

**I could tell he was better than he was when I first met him, but he was still holding in a lot of confused emotions. I decided to try and help relieve him.**

**"I had an aunt who visited a fortune teller when she was young. She asked her about who her first love would be. She told her he would be a "mysterious man in black." So, she spent her younger years keeping her eyes peeled when she finally met him..."**

**"You're lying."**

**"...He dressed completely in black clothing and had lots of black accessories. They were married three months later. It started off good, but then he decided she wasn't good enough for him. They filed for divorce after one and a half years of holy matrimony. My aunt, however, being the stubborn woman that she is, didn't want to give up on him. So, she decided to dedicate the rest of her life to finding the Man in Black...and she's still out there today...searching...for the Man in Black."**

**"And this is supposed to make me feel better?"**

**"Yeah...because you look smarter than the Man in Black."**

**I managed to get a smile out of him with that last statement. I figured that my work was done with him, so I left. Just when I got outside, however, he smashed into the pavement right in front of me...face-first. He had apparently jumped off of his balcony. I couldn't understand why he did it, but I assumed it was because he didn't want anyone else to fall victim to the number. I found it silly and preposterous that such a big deal could be made over a number...Little did I notice that, as soon as he landed on the pavement, my watch read 2:22 PM.**

"...YES! YES!...I'M FREE! It's stopped mirroring my life! I never in my life met an Italian blonde obsessed with the number twenty-two! I'm finally free!"

_I was dancing with joy as I tried to put together what had happened over the past few days. I finally came to the conclusion that it had all been a coincidence and that, when I though the book was pulling me in, I was just suffering from a form of stressful dillusion...Yep...I was pretty happy...so happy that I failed to recognize that the clock read 10:22 PM...22:22 in military time._

End of Chapter 3!

**Author's Other Note: I will point out that not everything that happens in this fanfic is what happened in the movie. I've had to change some parts. Oh well, keep reviewing and spreading the word about it! And don't hesitate to send me a personal message either!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: For whoever is still sticking with my story, I want to say thanks. I'm still far from done if I choose to do the story the way I'm doing it now. What are your thoughts? Tell me in a comment or a personal message.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic or The Number 23, the cool movie this story is based on .**

**The Number 22**

**Chapter 4**

_I thought I was free from the curse...free from the horror...but, unknown to me at the time, I wasn't. In fact, the terror was just beginning. Even though I had decided there was nothing to worry about anymore, I decided to still go to the bookstore and find out who wrote the book._

"Why, Twilight Sparkle! I ain't seen you in weeks! Where ya been, girl? Usually, you're the first one in when the new issue of _Magic Monthly _comes in."

"Oh, I've been...busy. But, don't worry. I'm still your number one customer. Speaking of which, my friend, Rarity, bought me a book for my birthday just the other day. I was wondering if you could look it up on your computer and find out some information on the author."

"Well, sure thing! Let me just get the old machine started."

_Turns out old Mr. Bookworm didn't know a whole lot about computers, being raised in the early 50's and all. It took him 10 minutes to get it turned on and another 7 to find the book-searching site. How he's managed to keep one in his shop for this long is beyond me._

"Okay, Ms. Twilight. If you'll tell me the name of the author, I'll type 'er in and see what comes up."

_I never did hear Mr. Bookworm the first time. I was too busy staring at his clock. I noticed that his clock read 2:22. _

"Twilight...hello...Twilight?"

"...Um...what?"

"You were starin' into space, girl. Something wrong?"

"...Oh, no! Nothing's wrong!...Nothing at all."

"Oh, well, in that case, can you tell me the name of the author?"

"Oh, sure. The name is Topsy Kretts."

"Okay, and I'm gonna need to see the book. Ya know, just in case the name itself doesn't pull up anything."

_Ya know, it was funny. When I handed him the book, I realized that that was the first time Ihad parted with that book since I started reading it. The memories of me being pulled to it still lingered in my mind, but I reminded myself that I had had nothing to worry about all along. While he typed the name in, I stared back at the clock. The time was now 2:24. I figured it was just a coincidence. I looked around the store, observing the atmosphere. Mr. Bookworm did a very good job sweeping the floors and wiping the windows, but he never found time to dust the shelves. The books looked ancient, unlike the books in my library. I can't believe Rarity actually came in here, being the type of lady she is._

"Well, Twilight, I'm sorry to tell you this but..."

"But what?"

"Well, this _Topsy Kretts _didn't write anything before or after this book."

"Well, what about the book's credits? Who helped publish it?"

"Actually, that's another thing that was interesting. The book was self-written, self-published, and self-released. It doesn't even show that there were any copies made of it...which of course is ridiculous. I mean, who do you know of that would only make one copy of a book and put it out for public sale."

_Once again, I was distracted by something. This time, it was his bookshelves. I had counted them several times over, but I always came up with the same amount: 22._

"Um, Mr. Bookworm,...I'm sorry,...but...I have to go!"

"Oh, well,...okay...Wait!"

"What?"

"Don't forget your book!"

_I felt like leaving right there. Just leaving the book in his care...letting him deal with it. But, just like the other night, something was pulling me to go retrieve it. As I drew closer and closer to the counter, tears began to form in my eyes. Why was I crying? I had no control over my body. I was being forced to retrieve something that was causing me nothing but trouble.I had never experienced anything so unusual in my life! After eventually reaching the counter, I, still in tears, accepted the book._

"Well, good-bye Twilight! Have a nice day."

_That's easy for you to say._

**Chapter 4**

**The Curse Begins**

**As my life went on...as my time continued...everything about me was going as it should have been...except my mind. I would still go about my daily schedules, helping Orlando and doing my research,...but all I could **_**think **_**about was the number...22. Did it really pose such a significance that it caused the Italian Blonde's father to kill himself and his wife? I had to find out...but I didn't know how. I thought about who I could go to...who might be able to help me? I finally decided on Orlando. But, unfortunately, when I told him, the only thing that interested him was the place where the Italian Blonde killed herself. He wanted me to take him to her apartment. I had no choice but to do as he wanted...Orlando could be **_**very**_** persuasive. I knew why he wanted to go...He wanted to make love with me there. See, Orlando had this thing about turn-ons. When he felt he was in danger or if he was in a place that is or was dangerous, like a murder scene, he gets turned on. I couldn't complain. As our bodies touched each other under the bright white color of the room,...it hit me. It was as if the spirit of the Italian Blonde was lingering in there and it had sent a spiritual message to my mind. What she had said to me about the number...it was all so clear.**

_**"It's this number!...Twenty-two!..."**_

_**"This number is everywhere!..."**_

_**"Driver's licenses, pages of books, even my name! It was in the words that I spoke, the pieces of music I played...everything!..."**_

**It was clear what I had to do...I had to check **_**everything**_**. When I got home later that night, I immediately got to work. I checked my name...my **_**actual **_**name...it had 22 letters. I checked my birthday...the numbers added up to 22. I even checked the number of windows in my house...Guess what?...There were 22 of them. I knew then that, whatever had happened to the Italian Blonde's dad...and then **_**her**_**...was happening to me.**

_After finishing the chapter, I put down the book and started staring at the wall. For about an hour, I just sat there...staring. I'm glad Spike was gone to Canterlot that week or he would've thought I'd gone off my rocker...but,...then again,...I had in a way. I re-read the chapter over a couple of times and I always came up with the same conclusion: This book was meant for me. I finally got the strength and will to get up and go down to the main room. However, I didn't stay gone long. I came back up to my room with a quill and notebook. I immediately got to work._

"Okay...My name...Twilight Mary Ann Sparkle...That adds up to 22!...Okay...okay! My birthday...February 2nd...Oh my gosh!...February _2nd_! The _second _day of the _second _month! Two and two beside each other are...22!...That just leaves...my windows."

_Some relief came to me when I found out I only had 5. However,...the curse wasn't gonna give up that easily. When I looked closer, I found out that 4 of my windows split into four sections each and my 5th window was just one by itself._

"Let's see...4x4=16...16+1=17...Hm...That still doesn't equal 22."

_But the curse wasn't always so simple. It wanted me to think to truly experience its inner horrors._

"...BUT...I originally had _5 _windows! And 17+5 equals...(gulp)...22."

_I couldn't believe it, but, whatever the Italian Blonde had, I now had. And it wasn't going any easier on me than it was him...I wondered how long it would take before the curse let to me doing what he did...killing himself._


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: I thank the feedback on the middle name I gave Twilight. I also thank the fact that nobody has told me to stop the story yet...Also, did anyone notice that, just this morning, the **_**22nd **_**episode of MLP:FIM Season 2 aired? Freaky, huh?**

**Disclaimer: I do not own My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic or The Number 23, the cool movie this story is based on .**

**The Number 22**

**Chapter 5**

**February 4**

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

"Twilight, hey! It's Rainbow Dash! I was wondering if I could borrow _My Life: Spitfire's View_. He's gonna be in town today and I wanna have something for him to sign!...Twilight?"

CRRRRREEEEEEAAAAKKKKKKK

"Leave me alone...I don't want visitors right now."

"Aw, come on, Twilight. Fluttershy's usually the one who keeps to herself, not you. I'll just be a minute..."

"NO!...I mean...I just wanna be alone..."

_With that said, I slammed the door in one of my closest friends face's, leaving her dumbfounded and confused...and also, knowing her, angry._

"Twilight! You open this door right now! I just wanted to borrow a book! I mean, come on, this _is _a library after all! The whole purpose of them even existing is to borrow books!...Don't make me break the door down!"

_Finally, after she gave up and left, not wanting to cause a ruckus with breaking the local library's door down, I relaxed a little bit. It's not like I was trying to push her away from my friendship...It's just that...I don't want the curse to get her, too. I couldn't live with myself if any one of my friends, or any resident of Ponyville for that matter, got cursed with what I had. Speaking of which, it had gotten worse. I came to find out that, just like the Italian Blonde, the number was everywhere. It was in the amount of words I spoke in sentences, so I stopped speaking. It was on the clock every time I checked to see what time it was, so I threw it out. It was even on the barcode on the back of a bag of Hay Chips I was getting ready to eat, so I ordered pizza. I had even been up all night, pacing, trying to discover a logical explanation for all of this. But, none of my books had the answer...they did, however, have amounts of pages that were divisible by 22._

"Okay, okay, get it together. You can handle this, Twilight...You just...have to...try and relax...BUT I CAN'T! This book is deceiving me, pulling me into its little trap! It wants me to read on!..."

_It's true...I stopped at Chapter 4 the night before and didn't read anymore. I knew that the more I pulled myself into it, the more horrifying the situation would become...and the more paranoid I would get. Eventually, I would start pushing away other ponies besides my five best friends...That's when it hit me. I never did call Mrs. Cake back...and she had said she was going on vacation immediately after that day...the day it all began._

"Oh, great! Not only I am dealing with a possibly supernatural book, but I'm also in some hot water with Mrs. Cake. Oh, could this day get any worse?"

_I read in many books and saw in many movies that that was one of the worst things you could say when your life was taking a turn for the worst...but it was too late._

SLAM!

"TWILIGHT SPARKLE!"

_It turns out that Mrs. Cake was going on a one-day only vacation...and now she was back, just as mad as she was after the Christmas party._

"Where have you been, young lady? I have been trying to call you ever since the day you left work without telling me!"

_I then realized that I hadn't used my phone since that day. What I couldn't understand was why I hadn't been hearing the phone ringing...Then it hit me. When I got home from the party, I noticed someponies throwing something back and forth. I thought it was just a white football, so I didn't pay any attention to it. Unfortunately, it was my phone. Turns out somepony brought alcohol and started spreading it around behind my back. So, they were so drunk that they managed to break my phone...but they were sober enough to hide the remains from me. I hadn't seen my phone since then, so I hadn't even noticed._

"Mrs. Cake, please let me explain!..."

"No need, Ms. Sparkle! I can see what has to be done here!"

"...And-And what might that be, ma'am?"

"I'm going to relieve you from working for me..."

"Really? Well, that's not what I was expecting to hear at all..."

"...and signing you up to work at the post office."

"What? No!"

"Yes! I feel that some other form of community service will do you well. All you do is stay indoors and read books! You've got to get out...meet some new people...and the post office is just the place to do that!"

"But that means I'm gonna have to work with...(gulp)...Derpy Hooves..."

"Well, what's the problem with that?"

"Well, it's not that I don't like her, but...she goofs up a lot."

"Hm,...then I guess that'll prove more of a challenge to you."

_I knew there was no arguing with that woman. Once she stated something, it was final. I used to think she could win an argument with a road sign...My theory was now proven._

SLAM!

"...Damn it, damn it! I don't have time to work at the post office! My life is in danger! I have to get help!"

_A couple of minutes later, I found myself on my bed, holding the book. I knew that it would just scare me more, but I had to find out more about the situation. Maybe, if the main character beat the curse somewhere in the book, I could too. Besides, I knew I had no choice, since the book had a tendency to pull me to it when it wanted me to read on._

**Chapter 5**

**Counting the Days**

**As my life continued, so did the curse. I was beginning to see the number on road signs, count in the pages of books, and even find it in the sentences I spoke. I decided to speak less to try and avoid it, but it still always found a way to get to me. Orlando wasn't helping out much. I tried to explain to him what I was going through, but he simply told me it was just my imagination...that I was being paranoid...Well, he was right about one thing: I **_**was**_** being paranoid,...but for the right reason. I knew I had to find out more about the number. I needed help from a professional...and I knew just the person. The town psychic. She was a mysterious medichine woman that lived in a little hut in the middle of the nearby forest. The town used to be afraid of her, but they eventually got used to her... Though, she still kept to herself.**

**KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!**

**"Um, excuse me, ma'am? I was wondering if I could come in? I have something I need to ask you...It's very important! My life depends on it! Please, ma'am!...OPEN THE DOOR!..."**

**As I was on the verge of tears, the door opened, revealing **_**her**_**. She was dressed up in black and white robes from head to toe. She had a couple of piercings and a bone in her hair. She definetely was a sight to see. I won't say much about her...I think she'd like it better that way...But, anyways, she stared at me oddly at first, as if she was staring at my soul. But, eventually, her expression turned serious.**

**"I've been expecting you."**

**"Y-You have?"**

**"Yes...It's about the number 22, isn't it?"**

**"Yes!...How did you know?"**

**"I foresaw it while I was meditating. The feeling it gave me sent a chill up my spine...It was just...pure evil..."**

**"Yes! I need to know about it!"**

**"Of course. Please, come in."**

**I was about to go in,...but, all of a sudden, she started clutching her chest and gasping for breath. **

**"NO!...EVIL CURSE!...LEAVE ME BE!...IT'S NOT ME YOU WANT...PLEASE!"**

**It didn't take long for her to hit the ground dead. I stood there, mouth agape, unable to comprehend what just happened...It seemed the number wanted me to deal with this problem by myself...It wanted **_**me**_** to rise to the challenge.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: I'm SO SORRY. I messed up in the last chapter. When Rainbow Dash mentioned Spitfire, she called her a **_**he**_**. I forgot that Spitfire was the female Wonderbolt. Forgive me for that mistake (cause I'll probably make some more eventually) and keep on reading.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic or The Number 23, the cool movie this story is based on .**

**The Number 22**

**Chapter 6**

"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!"

_I was feeling a mixture of anger and fear. I let the emotions posess me as I let out an explosive yell, loud enough for the pegasi in Cloudsdale to hear, and threw the book against the wall. I know knew that I had just gotten a little taste of the true power that the curse had. It not only had the power to pull you into reading...but also the power to kill ponies that got in its way._

"This is insane! How am I going to beat this curse?...HOW?"

_Then, my mind came up with an idea. I noticed something in the previous chapter I hadn't noticed before. The author had described the town psychic as "covered in black and white robes from head to toe." I then realized that the book could be giving me a hint, hidden deep within its context, on what I could do to defeat it...It was telling me that I couldn't do this alone...I needed the help of a spiritual master...someone with a link to the supernatural...The description said it all...I needed...Zecora!_

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

"Twilight, open this door! I ran into Rainbow Dash earlier and she seemed mighty upset!"

_Just when I thought my outside problems were done for the day, Applejack showed up to investigate my rude behavior. I didn't have time to deal with her, so I decided to teleport my way to Zecora's, leaving her to an empty library. When I got there, I knocked on the door and waited. After a few moments, she came to the door._

"Hello, Zecora. Nice to see you again."

"Hello, Twilight. Nice to see you, too..."

_As I was getting ready to tell her what I needed, she surprised me with the next thing she said._

"...Now, come. I've been expecting you."

_Just like the psychic in the book. I noticed she still talked in rhyme, but she did it with a somber tone. It was like there was an evil presence around, frightening her._

"So, I assume you know why I'm here, right?"

"Yes. I foresaw it in my crystal ball. Now, I will tell you all."

_Not exactly like the story, but close enough. I was sure that Zecora would know what to do. No wonder the book chose her to be my savior...Little did I know how off I was._

"The curse that has befallen you will keep going...until you can understand what you need to be knowing."

"What does that mean?"

"You need to know what you're dealing with...if you really want to continue to live..."

_I was horrified...but also angry. I already knew that I was supposed to find out more about the curse. That's why I came here in the first place! The book chose her to help be my guide!...That's when it hit me...The book wasn't going to help me...I, like in the story, had to help myself. And that meant that Zecora wasn't my guide...she was just in the way._

"Zecora! I have to go!"

"What! Why, my dear?...You've only just gotten here!"

"It's not safe for me to be here...not safe for _you_."

_I ran for the door. However, Zecora started chasing after me, yelling at me to stop._

"NO, NO! Don't follow me! Your life is in danger if you stay around me!"

_I tried to outrun her...but it wouldn't have made a difference if I had. I looked back to see her on the ground, clutching her throat, coughing, and foaming at the mouth. It was worse than what happened in the book. I could only watch in horror as she slowly suffered before me. It only took a minute before she fell limp...She was dead, a victim of the curse._

"NNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

_Zecora was dead because of me. If I hadn't be so stupid and drew those dumb conclusions. My life is meant to go along exactly with the story. Not exact for every detail, but for the main parts. The psychic had become a victim. Zecora had become a victim. It was all my fault...and, now,...there was no going back._

"Zecora!...WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME? If you want me to die, then just take me already! Stop torturing me! Just take me now! I don't want to live anymore!"

_But, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't stray the curse from its plans for me. It wanted me to suffer like this. It fed off my suffering. And I was meant to accept it and go along with it...But, that didn't stop me from crying. I cried for what seemed like hours. I reached into the satchel I had brought along with me for some tissues,...but grabbed something else. I pulled out the object and gasped in horrror...It was the book. It had followed me here. It knew this would happen and now it was wanting me to read on...to draw some more conclusions...and suffer some more._

"YOU! Why are you here? GET AWAY!"

_I threw it on the ground and stomped on it. I know there was no point, but I wanted to express my anger. Then, I thought of an idea. I reached into my satchel and pulled out a box of matches. I struck one against the matchbox and held it over the book. Now...I wanted it to suffer like I did._

"BURN IN HELL, YOU BASTARD!"

_The book was set ablaze as the match touched its surface. I could see the cover char, the pages burn to a crisp. I watched it for a while and then left. I looked back to make sure it was destroyed completely. All that was left were ashes. I didn't bother to smile, though. I was waiting to see if the curse was still upon me. When I got into town, I looked around for a number. I finally saw the town clock. The time was 2:23._

"Hm..._2:23_? That's convincing...But I'm still gonna keep my guard."

"AHA! I GOT YA NOW!"

_I knew the voice just by the accent...and the anger. It was Applejack. She had finally found me after probably hours of looking. And now, she was gonna let me have it._

"I knew I'd find ya somewhere! Now, Twilight, you haven't seen or spoken to any of your friends since yesterday!...No, wait. Correction. You _did _yell at Rainbow Dash, so I guess that _could _count as a form of talkin'!"

"Listen, Applejack. I've been going through a lot over the past few days and I'd appreciate it if everypony would just..."

"_Everypony _would like to know what's been going on with you lately! You have never yelled at any of us, so why start now?"

"...Okay, Applejack. You win. Come with me back to the library. I'll tell you everything."

_She refused to walk beside me, so, instead, she followed close behind me. I knew she wasn't going to take "no" for an answer. She may have been the Element of Loyalty, but, in my book, she could've also been the Element of Stubborness. We were about half-way to the library when I heard loud galloping. I turned around to see a horse-drawn carriage full of passengers speeding towards us._

"Twilight, what in tarnation are ya lookin' at?"

_I didn't hear her, though. I was focused on the carriage's number...22. Then, I realized somthing else. The time on the clock may have been 2:23, but the first two digits in that time were 2 and 2...The curse was still with me and, now, it though of Applejack as a threat. It wanted her out of the way...just like Zecora!_

"Applejack, look out!"

_I pushed her out of the way, just as the carriage came whizzing by. We both landed hard on the ground a couple of meters away._

"Wow. Thanks, Twilight. I would've been a goner if it weren't for you...Twilight?"

_I once again left Applejack behind. I couldn't be around her anymore or the curse might send something else to dispose of her. I ignored her shouting as I continued on. I finally reached the library after running for about ten minutes. I didn't expect to see what I was about to see upstairs. The book was waiting for me, laying on the bed._

"DAMN IT! You again!"

_I had no choice...I had to read on._

**Chapter 6**

**The Appointment**

**The town didn't bother holding a decent funeral. The cheapest pastor was chosen to preach a few words and then she was lowered into the ground in a used coffin. Nopony showed up, not even me. I figured it was for the best. It was my fault she had died. If it wasn't for me, she probably would've lived a much longer life. I continued my observations of the number. My address, my mail, and my bank account all failed me. While me and Orlando were making love, (I was hardly trying.) I counted his shirts in the closet.**

**"...Did you know you had 22 shirts?"**

**"...You're counting my shirts!"**

**He got out of the bed, upset with me. But, I was too concerned to worry about it. My hope for surviving the curse had slipped away from me. I was sulking into depression more every day, with no support from Orlando. I also didn't have any friends, so help was basically out of the question.**

_The book was mocking me. My friends had all been pushed away, one of them almost killed not too long ago, and now it was rubbing it in my face._

**Then I got the call. It was Officer Bookworm, the local deputy. I always came to the police station and asked him for a file to help with my research. He used to own a bookstore, but it was destroyed by a fire. **

"Oh, great! Now, Mr. Bookworm's in it!"

**I considered him reliable, so I answered the phone.**

**"Hello?"**

**"Hey, Twilight! I haven't heard from you in a while."**

**"Yeah, I've been...busy..."**

**"Well, you know that psychic that recently died?"**

**"Yeah?..."**

**I didn't like the sound of this.**

**"Well, I was looking into her files and found out that her son is actually Dr. Lori Shriner."**

**I gasped. Lori Shriner was the town psychiatrist. She certainly didn't look like a witch doctor's daughter. She was well-educated in the field of medicine, finely dressed, and spoke with a proper medical accent...whatever that would be.**

**"I thought you would be interested in this, since the connection between her and the witch has never been identified by anyone."**

**I didn't like him calling her a "witch", but I didn't say anything. I just thanked him for the info and hung up. A thought snuck its way into my mind.**

_**"Could she help me as well?"**_


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: See, I told you I'd make some more mistakes in the future. Applejack is the Element of **_**Honesty**_**, not Loyalty. Forgive me for that one. Also, sorry for scaring some people. I want to make this story suspensful...and the horror is just beginning.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic or The Number 23, the cool movie this story is based on .**

**The Number 22**

**Chapter 7**

**February 5**

_What Officer Hooves told Hoofling about the psychic intrigued me throughout the night. If the psychic had a daughter, along with the book being right about all the important details, then...that could mean that Zecora has a daughter who can help me!...But,...Zecora never mentioned a child. I had to find out for sure. However, on the way out, I ran into Mrs. Cake, the person whom I least wanted to see at the moment._

"Mrs. Cake! Wha-What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to give you your schedule."

"Schedule?"

"Yeah...for your post office duty...Remember?"

"...Oh, yeah! The post office duty!"

_My post office duty was the last thing on my mind. My main priority was looking into the possible offspring of Zecora...Speaking of which, just like the book, she will be recieving a cheap funeral today. And, also like the book, I will not be attending. The guilt would be too much._

"Thank you, Mrs. Cake. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have somewhere to be."

_That thank-you was about as fake as the smile the old mare gave me as she left. I didn't care, though. I had work to do...Real work. When I arrived at the police station, I was greeted by Officer Lawforce. Unlike Officer Bookworm, he wasn't elderly and he wasn't much of a reader, nor did he ever own a bookstore. He was tall and muscular, sporting a brown mustache and blue eyes. He was a lot like the "perfect stallion" every filly always talked about, except he looked like he had passed that point by a few years._

"Hello there, Twilight. I'm sorry to hear about Zecora. I know she was a friend of yours."

"Yeah...She was something, wasn't she?"

"I wonder what happened to her? The doctors couldn't find a cause of death."

"...I guess it was just her time."

"Well, anyways, what can I do ya for?"

"I was wondering if you could tell me if Zecora had any children."

"Oh, why yes, I believe she did. Here's her file just in case I'm wrong."

_He handed me her file, which turned out to be very small...something the story didn't mention. It turns out that Officer Lawforce was right...and so was the book. She had a daughter named Lori who was indeed the town's local psychiatrist. After showing the officer, he was as amazed as I was._

"Well, bust my badge! The connection between the town psychiatrist and the town witch has..."

"I know..._Never been identified by anyone_."

"Yeah...Wait, how'd you know that?..."

_But, before he finished, I was out the door. I intended to visit Lori and get to the bottom of this. After a while of walking, I finally made it to her office. It was completely white inside, with only a few plants and pictures to keep anypony from going insane._

"Um, I don't have an appointment, but..."

"Are you Twilight Sparkle?"

"...Um, yes? How did you know my name?"

"The Doc's been telling us you would come by this morning."

_So, she had powers just like her mom. She must be an excellent psychiatrist! The receptionist led me down a white hallway into a room at the end. Unlike everything else, this room was painted brown...a muddy brown. A couch was laid against the wall. In front of it stood a desk with a chair behind it...a chair that had its back turned. A voice came from behind the chair._

"Sit, please."

_I did as told. I had a feeling the voice came from Lori. I mean, the name on the desk was "Dr. Lori Shriner." The chair turned around to reveal a brown colored mare, appearing to be in her 30's. Her mane was in the same fashion as Zecora's, but, other than that, nothing else resembled the late zebra. In fact, she was wearing a white coat, glasses, and, for some odd reason, white gloves._

"I have sensed you were coming, but, unlike Mom could, I have not been able to sense _why _you were coming."

"Did you go to your mother's funeral?"

"Why does my personal life suddenly matter to you? I can't believe you have the nerve to..."

"You didn't go."

"How did you know that?"

"The book told me."

_I spent the next few minutes explaining my situation to her...my entire problem. After we finished, she stared at the wall, her hooves together, for a long while. Finally, I broke the silence._

"You don't look like your mother."

_At first, I thought I had gone too personal, but, surprisingly, she just smiled weakly at me. She then got up, went over to the water cooler, filled a cup, and came back. I expected her to pour it on me, but, instead, she poured it on herself. Her brown color washed down her body, leaving black and white stripes._

"So, you _are _a zebra!"

"As I grew out of childhood, I decided I didn't want to be a town outcast like Mom. So, I painted over my body, went off to college, and graduated as a psychiatrist. Now that I think about it, I don't think Mom was upset with me...just surprised."

_I thought she was finished, but she started speaking again before I could start._

"But, I have done some things in my past I could have avoided."

_She pulled off her gloves to reveal two normal-looking hooves,...but two badly-cut wrists._

"My past thoughts about Mom began to haunt me...So, I began cutting myself. I've learned to move on with my life and accept it...But, these are permanent scars...permanent reminders of the past."

"...I'm so sorry. I never knew about how hard life could be until recentley...when the curse began."

"Speaking of which, I think we need to get back to that subject. The number 22 is actually quite common."

"It is?"

"Yes. Princess Celestia is 22,223 years old, becoming Princess along with Luna, who is 22,222, on February 2, 19,988 B.C. The year doesn't match, but you still get the 22 in there. Also, Ponyville is 22.22 square miles. Shall I go on?"

"No, I'm starting to get the message."

"And as for this book, I think you should do what your instincts,...and apparently _it _as well, have been telling you to do all along: Finish the book and go from there."

"But, what about the curse?"

"If the curse wanted you to read on, it wouldn't put you in a deadly situation."

"But, what about my friends? I put their lives in danger being around them!"

"Which is why you should limit your visits with them. If this _curse_ thinks they've gotten too close to you, it will try to eliminate them."

"Believe me, it's already tried that before."

"If you do not need to actually visit with them, though, just give them a call or write them a letter. But, make sure you explain your situation to them or they'll think you're crazy!"

_I decided that, since my friends didn't believe me the first time I tried to tell them, I would have to simply get out of town. I left a note for everypony to find._

_Dear Residents of Ponyville,_

_I have been going through some bad stress lately. The local psychiatrist has recommende I take a break from the stress by taking a vacation. If you have any questions, please call Dr. Lori Shriner._

_ Love,_

_ Twilight Sparke_

_I knew Lori would back me up since I was going through so much. Later that day, after packing my things, I left for Canterlot. I found a place called The Fancy Place hotel...How creative._

"Here you go, missy. Room number 23."

"...How about _22_?"

"...Well, we've actually been having plumbing problems with that room."

"I'll take it."

_I didn't bother to explore my room. As soon as I got in, I plopped down on the bed and began to read._

**Chapter 7**

**The Appointment Met**

**I finally made it to Dr. Lori's office. Inside, the building was all white, except for a few plants and paintings. I almost went crazy looking at the color-devoid walls...as if I wasn't already crazy enough. I was surprised by what the receptionist told me.**

**"Lori's been expecting you. Please go in."**

**As soon as I got to her office, she, with her back turned to me, told me to take a seat on the nearby leather couch.**

**"I have felt your coming prescence, but I want to know why."**

**"Well,...it's actually about your mom."**

**Hearing this, she turned around immediately. She wasn't a zebra like her mom. She was a brown mare with glasses, a white coat, and white gloves. **

**"What about my mom?"**

**"I hate to tell you this, but...I'm cursed with what I've heard you doctors would call **_**The 22 Enigma**_**...And that's also what killed your mom."**

**I had read about The 22 Enigma. It was actually more common than I thought. I won't waste time explaining it...I don't have to write everything.**

**She didn't respond for a long time. But, finally, when it seemed as though she had died sitting forward, she spoke.**

**"Get out of my office! Your cruel, sick jokes do not amuse me!"**

**"I'm not making jokes! This is serious!"**

**"I said get..."**

**"You didn't go to your mom's funeral, did you?"**

**"...I...How did you know that?"**

**After finally settling her down, we spoke for a while, me explaining everything the whole while. When I finally got done, she seemed to have a whole different attitude.**

**"I'm terribly sorry for your bad luck..."**

**"Oh, it's not luck...It's my relationship with suicidal blondes."**

**"What?"**

**"Nothing."**

**Kind of a little sick humor. I needed a laugh from even a cruel joke...since I hadn't laughed in days.**

**"Well, I don't know much about curses,...at least, not like Mom,...but I will tell you to finish this book..."**

**"That's all you have to offer me?"**

**"Look...It'll help ease your mind and, hopefully, stop your anxiety. For all we know, this could all be a form of angst..."**

**"I know for a fact that it's **_**not **_**angst!"**

**"Listen, you're not the only pony to tell me about something like this. As you said, there's a whole enigma based on it. So, please, just take my advice."**

**"...Okay, Doc."**

**"And, if it's all for the best, maybe you need to get away for a while. Leave town, find a hotel."**

**I knew Orlando wouldn't mind, so I thanked her for her time and left, ready to leave for a while...I just hoped I could make this work.**

"So do I."

_I heard a knock at my hotel door. I expected to find the manager or one of the housekeepers. But, instead,...it was the person I least expected to see...ever._


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: I can't think of anything to say on this note, so...I guess all I **_**can**_** say is...KEEP READING AND REVIEWING!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic or The Number 23, the cool movie this story is based on .**

**The Number 22**

**Chapter 8**

_I couldn't believe who it was at my door...Well, not my door, but my hotel door...You get what I mean. The moment I saw him, my heart tied itself into a double knot and my mind began to spin, making me dizzy...But not dizzy enough to blur the face of my visitor from view._

"Orlando! What are you doing here?"

"Well, now...is that any way to talk to your boyfriend?"

"_Ex_-boyfriend! And I plan to keep it that way."

"Oooh! _That _was cold!"

"Dash! Be quiet!"

_The other two voices came from behind Orlando. I recognized them almost immediately. I pushed Orlando out of the doorway to find Rainbow Dash and Applejack...along, of couse, with Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie. _

"What in the wide, wide world of Equestria are you all doing here?...And, more importantly, why did you bring _him_?"

_Orlando seemed insulted by this, but I didn't care. That jerk never did help me with my problems when I needed somepony's support...kind of like the stallion in the book._

"Well, Twilight," answered Rarity, "If you must know, after your little _encounter _with Applejack yesterday,..."

_Hearing this, I noticed Applejack look away, slightly angered._

"I decided to get the gang together and figure out what might be causin' your strange behavior. And it just so happened that this handsome stallion here was in town. We, after introducing ourselves, eventually found out he was your ex. After that, and after finding your note, we got Dr. Shriner to tell us what was going on..."

"Wait! Dr Shriner told you everything!"

"That's correct."

"But, why? Why would she do that?"

"Oh, it wasn't hard, my dear." spoke Orlando, "All it took was some..._charm_."

_I hated his guts. I hated his attitude. I hated him altogether. As soon as he said "charm", I knew exactly what had happened. For most fillies, all it would take was a shake of his hair and he could get whatever he wanted...I guess it wasn't much different from mares. Rarity continued to speak, breaking my thoughts._

"After finding out everything, we managed to use a little spell I found in one of your books to find you. All I had to do was get some of your DNA, in this case, some hair from one of your hairbrushes, and direct the spell on it to make a homemade tracking device."

"I can't believe you guys! This is crazy!..."

"No," yelled Rainbow Dash, "What's crazy is what Lori told us was going on with you! I mean, seriously, we went over this the other day: There is nothing wrong with the number 22! It's just that egghead brain of yours going off the deep end!..."

"Rainbow Dash!" interrupted Rarity, "Refrain yourself! Now, Twilight, none of us think you're crazy. We just think you may need to start going to some kind of...counseling."

"No...what I need is a vacation from Ponyville! Some time to get away from all the pressure that goes on!"

_I knew that last part was a lie, but I needed to tell them something to make them leave...and take Orlando with them._

"...Alright, Twilight, you win. We'll leave you alone...BUT,...only if you let us take the book away from you for a while."

"What! No! The book is possibly my only hope for surviving the ordeal!"

"...See, this is _exactly _why we need to take it from you...Not forever!...Just for a little while."

"No, I'm not giving it to you!"

"Pinkie Pie!"

"Yes, sir, ma'am sir!"

"Please retrieve the book for me!"

_Against my will, the book was pulled out of my grip by Pinkamena Diane Pie...Nope, only 17 letters. Thank goodness._

"Oh, come on, Pinkie! Give it back, please!"

"Sorry, Twilight, but this is for your own good."

_And, with that, they were gone. I was left alone in Room 22, without the book...without hope. I decied that I wasn't going to let this stand. I had to get the book back! So, without bothering to pack my things, I put my satchel on and headed out the door after them. I figured they'd keep it at Rartity's, since she seemed to be the leader of their "group."...The Anti-Twilight Group. After reaching Carousel Boutique, I decided to use a new spell I'd been working on...Well, before my life was preoccupied by the curse. The spell gave the user the ability to pass through solid objects, in this case, walls. So, I focused it on myself and found my body to be transparent._

"Excellent."

_After getting inside, I went upstairs to Rarity's room, thinking she'd hide it near her for safe-keeping. However, it seemed that I wasn't the only one who was wanting it that night. For, when I opened the door to her room, I saw a figure in a black ski mask, black clothing, and, for some odd reason, a pearl necklace. _

"AAAHHH!..."

_I couldn't help but scream. The figure surprised me. I managed to clamp my hand over my mouth before I really made that loud of a noise. I didn't manage to wake Rarity up, but I did manage to scare the intruder...Well, the other intruder._

"Don't scream like that or we're both gonna be in hot water!"

"Who are you? Why are you here?"

"Well, don't you recognize me, Honey Bunches?"

_I knew at once who it was by the sappy nickname. It was Orlando. He pulled off the ski mask to reveal his handsome, yet, to me, gruesome, face._

"What are you doing here?"

"I came for the book."

"What? Why?"

"I wanted to get it for you,...cause...I know how much it means to you."

_At first, I didn't know what to say. He was actually thinking about me instead of himself this time?...Or could it just be a trick? I didn't have time to think, though, as Rarity began to wake up. I used the spell on both of us, giving us a quick getaway._

"By the way, where did you get that necklace?"

"...Well, you can't expect to go in a fashionista's house without helping yourself to a few things, can you?"

_Yep. Same old Orlando. Still, though, he did get me the book. I guess I can be thankful to him for that. After we made it to the library, we stood outside the door, not sure what to do next."_

"...So,...thanks, I guess, for getting the book for me."

"Oh...You're quite welcome."

"I guess I'll see ya tomorrow."

"Oh, yes. I'll be in town all week."

"Oh...Well, good night, then."

"Night."

_As we parted, I felt as though I had met an entirely different stallion that day. But, as soon as I got in, those thoughts disappeared and were replaced by getting back to reading._

**Chapter 8**

**Brushing Up on My History**

**I found a run-down hotel on Emerald Boulevard. It was called The Fancy Place. When I entered, I was greeted by a stuffed cougar leaping out at me from the ceiling. I also noticed a few stuffed grizzly bears, timber wolves, and even fish mounted or hanging from the ceiling. I approached the reception desk and was met with an elderly stallion dressed in overalls and a fishing hat.**

**"How may I help you?"**

**"I'd like a room, please."**

**"Okay, I'll need you to sign this paper."**

**I did as told. I noticed another stallion sitting in a chair by the lounge fireplace. He was reading the newspaper. I figured that he got it from the paper box over by the entrance. I noticed that a paper cost $1.22. A normal pony would find that peculiar...Not me.**

**"Okay, ma'am. Here's your key for Room 23."**

**"How about **_**22**_**?"**

**The man reading the paper suddenly put it down to stare at me. He looked as though he had seen a ghost.**

**"We've actually had some problems with 22. Seems the plumbing's backed up."**

**"I'll take it."**

**The receptionist shrugged, exchanged keys with me, and went back to reading his book. I looked around to see what the other stallion was doing, but he was gone. I shrugged and went on to my room. When I got there, I immediately got into bed. I figured a rest was the first thing I needed. However,...I couldn't get to sleep. My mind was still racing...It was at unrest. I had to explore the number some more, or I might never be able to fall asleep again.**

**"Okay, let's have a little look here."**

**I pulled out the book Dr. Lori gave me to read...**_**The 22 Enigma**_**. **

**"Alrighty, then."**

** "The 22 Enigma has been investigated by many researchers since its founding by Jonathan Frederick Spitz on April 2, 1902. He reportedly claimed, with 22 letters in his name and the 4th month minus the 2nd day being 2, which along with the 2 from 1902, would be 22, that the curse had chosen him specifically to begin its spread of terror. Also, he said that anypony could also divide the 4 by 2 and still get the same anwer. He supposedly had recurring nightmares about the number taking the form of a shadow-like demon and strangling him. He would wake up sweating all over, with his hands around his throat. He was found dead on February 2nd, 1942, (The second month along with the second day. Also, the 4 divided by the 2nd day, leaving a 2 beside the other 2.) on his apartment floor, having given himself 22 strong drug injections. Since then, many more conclusions have been drawn about the number, like the founding of Equestria being on 19,988 B.C. (9+8+8=25, 25+19=44, 44/2=22.)**

**This book frightened me. I decided I would continue to read as much as I could...before the insanity inside me caused me to start hallucinating.**

**Author's Other Note: If you didn't notice, some of Twilight's thoughts and sentences have 22 words in them...That's not going too far, is it?**


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note: Sorry that it's taken longer than normal to update the story. I've been gone on school trips. But, here's a brand-new chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic or The Number 23, the cool movie this story is based on .**

**The Number 22**

**Chapter 9**

**February 6**

_I awoke the next morning, the book clutched against my chest. I guess it didn't want to be seperated from me...It wanted to keep an eye on me at all times._

"Ugh...What time is it?...10:22 A.M...Wonderful."

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

"Twilight! I know you're in there!...AND...I know you have the book as well!"

"Well,...there's Rarity with my wake-up call."

_I started to plan another escape plan from my house, but, this time, I shook those thoughts away._

"No...I'm tired of running away from my friends. It's just convincing them more and more that I'm crazy...Which, I'm not!..."

_It was then that I realized that I had spoken 22 words in that last full statement._

"AAAAAAUUUUGGGGGHHHHHH!

"HA! I _knew _you were in there, Twilight! You just come on out right now and maybe I'll go easy on you!"

_Ha...What a laugh._

"Okay, Rarity. You win. I'll come out."

_As I opened the door, I felt the warm touch of sunlight hit my face...It had been a while since I had really taken the time to actually feel it. And it felt wonderful...for the five seconds I felt it. For, not long after I came out, a knapsack was pulled down over my head, robbing me of my vision. _

"What the hell? Who-"

_But, before I could ask, I felt a needle being jabbed into my flank by an unseen wielder. I suddenly began to lose all feeling in my legs. As I began to fall, another unseen one caught me from my fall, picked me up, and started to carry me. We walked for what seemed like hours until I was finally put down. However, it didn't fell like the ground...It felt soft,...cushiony. The sack was taken off my head. Bright lights immediately flashed in my eyes, temporarily blinding me. When I regained vision, I noticed I was in a house, lying on a couch. I was not restrained in any way, as I still couldn't move._

"Alright, Doctor! We have her!"

_I recognized Rarity's voice yelling. She stepped out of the shadows, along with Rainbow Dash, (probably the one who carried me) Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Applejack. Their facial expressions all differed. Rarity had a look of concern, Dash's was one of anger, Fluttershy's was sad, Pinkie's was confused, and Applejack's was, strangest of all, disappointed._

"Girls!...What's the meaning of this? Why are you-"

"Shut up!" yelled Rainbow Dash.

"Now, now, Dash, we don't need to yell at her...just yet," spoke Rarity.

"Please, girls. Why have you brought me here?...Where exactly is _here_?"

"Why, they've brought you here to get help...in my hospital!" said an unknown voice.

_I looked up to see Doctor Whooves step out of the shadows. I hadn't seen him since the delivery...that fateful delivery. As soon as I saw him, and the memories of that day came back to my mind, I immediately felt angry at him...and his dog. If they hadn't made me late,...I wouldn't have been in this mess._

"Doctor Whooves, what are you talking about? What do you mean "help"?

"He _means_, Twilight," answered Fluttershy, "That we couldn't stand to see you in this condition any longer,...so...we kinda..."

"Kinda what, Fluttershy?"

"...Um...We..."

_Like she would normally do in a stressful situation, she burst into tears. Pinkie Pie went over to comfort her, giving me an angry glare as she did...As if she thought it was my fault!_

"...We decided to bring you to Doctor Whooves for some psychiatric help," finished Rarity, "We thought he was the best person to turn to since that other doctor of yours was on _your side_."

_I knew immediately that she was talking about Lori...but why did she have a bad tone when she said "your side"? Was I now their enemy or something?_

"Listen, I'll have you know that Lori has been a bigger help to me than any of you have!"

_That statement was completely out of anger...I didn't mean it, but I just wanted to let my mixed emotions out. It got a few frowns from some of them, but Rarity kept her composure and kept staring at me like she had before._

"You see, Twilight. This ridiculous obsession of yours has brought you nothing but mental stress...and we simply will not stand for it! It's time you got the help you need!"

"But, you guys, I keep trying to tell you that-"

"What you _should_ be telling us is "Thank you." For we, despite having to put up with your absurd attitude over the past few days, have still, from the kindness of our hearts, tried our best to help you."

"_Help_ me?...You really want to know how to _help _me?"

"Yes, dear. We do."

"Well, you can start by BELIEVING WHAT I'M TELLING YOU!"

"That's it! I can't stand listening to you anymore, Twilight!" yelled Rainbow Dash. "Doctor Whooves, please take your next patient to the hospital!"

"Yes, ma'am. Come with me, Twilight."

_I don't know why he botherd to say that, for the drug was still in my system. He picked me up and placed me on a hospital bed on wheels, brought out only moments before by Pinkie Pie._

"NO! You can't do this to me! I'm not crazy...trust me!"

_Did I forget to mention that the drug also effected my magic? Well, it did, for, no matter how many times I tried, I could get nothing more than a mere spark from my horn. I finally gave up resisting and just let him roll me to my future fate...the loony bin. I looked back to see Rainbow Dash picking up the book and handing it to Rarity._

"Hey, Rar. I think you need to hang on to this a little better."

"Well, I would've still had it if _somepony _hadn't came in the middle of the night and stole it while I was sleeping!"

_It was over. My fate was sealed. I was headed off to the white room for sure...At least,...that's what I thought at first. As I was being wheeled to the ambulance parked outside, Doctor Whooves began grunting. I first assumed it was just joint pains and ignored it, but I continued to hear it more and more. Finally, the bed stopped rolling. The ambulance was still a good 10 feet away, so it wasn't time to stop. I looked behind me to see what was going on...and froze. Doctor Whooves was on the ground, clutching his chest in pain. He started coughing uncontrollably,...but that's not what scared me. What he was coughing up made me sick. It was some kind of green slime, kind of like mucus with a darker color. He was choking up about a pint of it every time he coughed, my eyes unable to look away from the gruesome scene...Then, I heard somepony scream. I looked up to see the girls, Rarity being the one who yelled. They, like me, watched in horror as the Doctor choked on this stuff for about a minute until he fell still, allowing his hand to drop to the ground. The girls ran over to me, their hearts probably beating as fast as mine._

"Twilight," yelled Applejack, "What the hay happened to him? Is he..."

"I'm afraid so...And, to tell you the truth, I don't know exactly what happened to him?"

_Then I saw it. A line was slowly burning itself into Doctor Whooves' head. We all looked as it twisted around into the number 2. Then, another line began burning right beside the other. When they were done, a big, fiery 22 was burned onto his head. The curse had got him...just like Zecora._

"Tw-Twilight," studdered Pinkie Pie, "Wh-What is that?"

"_That_...is my curse..."

_The girls began staring at me again. But, not like a crazy individual,...like an injured friend. They jerked me out of the bed and gave me the biggest hug I'd ever gotten. The drug was finally wearing off, so I could feel the warmth of it coming onto my body. When we were done, they had so many things to tell me._

"Oh, we're so sorry for not believing you!"

"Please forgive us!"

"We should've been there for ya', but we weren't!"

"How could we have been such fools?"

"We feel absolutely terrible!"

"Guys! It's okay! I forgive each and every one of you. In fact,...I think _I'm _the one who should be apologizing. I've acted like a jerk for the past few days, avoiding you and yelling at you every time I saw you!...Guys,...I'm so sorry..."

"Twilight," replied Appplejack, "When one of us is in trouble, we're all in trouble. We stick through situations like PB&J...Together!"

_We shared one more group hug, letting our emotions spill out in it. When we got done, I explained to them the whole situation. After I was done, they all had horrified expressions._

"This sounds absolutely dreadful, Twilight!" spoke Rarity, "What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to continue making appointments with Dr. Lori. I believe she will harness her mother's abilities someday...and I'm gonna make sure I'm there when she does! But, more important than that, I'm gonna keep reading."

"You sure about that, Twilight?" asked Rainbow Dash. "I mean, if something's causing me trouble, I don't just let it keep on bothering me. I face it head-on!"

"But that's just it. It know I can't and the more I try to resist it, the more extra suffering I'm gonna go through. The end of the book could possibly provide a way to get rid of the curse...But, until then, I'm gonna keep reading."

"Well, we're all gonna help you, sugarcube," confirmed Applejack, "And that's a promise."

"No, Applejack, you guys can't help me. You saw what the curse did to Doctor Whooves and you _know_ what it did to Zecora! It will eliminate anyone who gets in its way!"

"But, what about the Doc?" asked Pinkie Pie, "I mean, she is your doctor! She's pretty close to you."

"Supposedly, according to her, when Zecora died, she passed on a shield of protection for her. It now surrounds her and protects her from evil spirits. Everyone in whatever culture she was from recites the traditional rhyme for it over every newborn child. After a while in your life, though, it begins to wear off...like Zecora's."

"Wow...That's incredible." whispered Fluttershy.

"And, since you aren't protected, you shouldn't be interfering."

"Now look, sugarcube! I just said that we do things together. So, if one of us is in trouble, we're all in trouble! Ain't that right, girls?"

"RIGHT!"

"...Thanks, girls. I'm glad you haven't given up on me. I'll allow you to help me,...BUT,...only if you keep your distance. As long as you don't mess too badly with the curse's plans, you should be fine."

_They accepted and we all parted ways. I called the hospital to come get the Doctor's body. It was sad to see him get carried away, unable to put up any kind of fight like I was. But, I shook off those feelings and continued my walk home. Rarity let me have my book back. I had it placed in my satchel for safe-keeping...not that I cared about its well-being. I just didn't want anypony else to take it from me. When I got home, I started reading._

**Chapter 9**

**Progress**

**I am slowly going crazy. The madness has begun to take over...In a way, you could say I was making progress on two levels. I had learned more about the number by finishing the Doctor's book. That was the good progress. The bad progress was the fact that my madness was slowly consuming me. It grew more every day as I struggled to keep it from taking over my mind. The hallucinations would usually start at night. I would lie in bed, looking up at the ceiling, when I would see shadows of a figure stabbing another figure with a butcher knife. I tried my best to ignore them and get to sleep,...but I couldn't stop thinking about them. The next few days, Orlando kept his distance. He would scarcely speak to me, except for things like "Good morning." and "I'm going out. See ya later." I began to doubt his love for me more and more every day...But, then again, maybe it was because of my growing obsession with the number. I had sort of pushed him away over the past few days without so much as an apology. My mind raced as I pondered on the subject.**

_**"Well, I tried to explain it, but he wouldn't ever listen! He had his chance and he failed me! Why do I still even love him?..."**_

_**"Why would I even say things like that? Of couse I still love him! He's my whole world!...My only friend...No, more than that...He's my family."**_

**Actually, forget what I just called it. It wasn't "pondering". It was arguing. I was literally arguing with myself. I had split myself into two halves: the psychotic one who had succumbed to the curse, and the normal-thinking one who was still willing to hold on and fight against it...But, with it, there was no fighting...There was only delaying.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note: I've decided to begin on some new stories soon. I may put the ideas on my profile page, so look out for them if so. But, making these new ones doesn't mean I'm done with this one. I've still got a long way to go.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic or The Number 23, the cool movie this story is based on .**

**The Number 22**

**Chapter 9**

_How long would it be before I began hallucinating? Was I as close to losing my mind as Hoofling? The differing thoughts raced through my mind as I sat on my bed, the book laying in front of me...However, I did know one thing...My friends would be here to back me up no matter what...And that's the strongest kind of power...Stronger than any form of magic...The power...of friendship._

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

"TWILIGHT SPARKLE!"

_Man...It seemed as though everyday someone different was mad at me, knocking angrily at my door and screaming my name._

"You're in a lot of trouble, little missy! Derpy Hooves had to arrange every letter this morning by herself!...And I'm sure you can imagine how _that _went!"

_It was Mrs. Cake,...a pony I'd neglected and forgotten. Somepony I hadn't explained my situation to or made ammends with yet. But, I knew that it wouldn't have done any good trying. She would never listen,...nor would she now._

"I know you're in there! I saw you leaving Doctor Whoove's not too long ago!"

_Doctor Whooves...I still felt horrible about his death. And not just because I saw the whole thing...I knew I was responsible for it. I was the one with the curse. The curse hurt everyone I was around. As long as I had it, I had to keep away from others...or else someone would get hurt. That's why my friends were going to help me without getting in the curse's way,...which, when I really got down to thinking about it, didn't make the most sense...But, I couldn't worry about that. I had my own problems to attend to._

"That's it! I'm busting this door down right no-"

"Oh hi, Mrs. Cake. What a pleasant surprise."

"Twilight, don' give me that crap! You know darn well why I'm here! You've been shirking your community service while you've gone off hanging out with your friends. Well, I hope you've been having a damn good time!'

_If only she knew the truth. But, in order for her to believe me, she'd have to witness the curse at work...Then I realized...she was in a bad position._

"Mrs. Cake, you shouldn't be here right now! You should go!"

"Oh, no! You're not pushing me away any longer! You _are_ going to do your community service if it kills me!"

_That's what I was afraid of._

"Mrs. Cake, I don't have time to explain...JUST GO!...Leave now...before it's too late!"

"NO! I WILL NOT!"

_Suddenly, I noticed the town's clock...It read 1:22. I was certain that the curse was about to strike Mrs. Cake. I had to get her away from me before it was too late._

"HELP, POLICE! This woman's harassing me!"

_Not the best escape plan I'd ever devised, but it was the first thing that came to mind. Two police who happened to be walking by at the moment answered my call. They ran over to us...and tackled Mrs. Cake...Not what I had expected them to do. I was hoping they'd just take her away in their patrol carriage or something. I then realized they must have been two rookies who just recently got their badges...and this was one of their first calls._

"...This is our local police?...I feel _so _protected..."

_I let them continue their pile-up and I ran past them, eager to get away. I didn't exactly know where to go, so I just took myself to the first place I could think of._

"Man...alleys are creepy even in the day."

_I had taken myself to a nearby alley to get some peace and quiet. I brought the book with me to brush up on another chapter. However, I got an unexpected visitor._

"Well, hey there, young lady. How do ya do?"

"Wha?...Who's there?"

"Oh, don't be afraid. I won't hurt ya...a whole lot. He he he."

_The mysterious figure didn't step out of the shadows, so I never got a good look at him...Yes, it was a "him". I could tell by the voice. But,...I didn't recognize the voice. It was too dark and raspy._

"I didn't expect to find anyone here...I'm usually the only one who comes to this place...I guess that makes you my first companion ever."

"Who are you?...What do you want?"

"Why, that's easy...I want _you_, my dear!"

"You didn't answer my first question,...nor did you answer the second one complete enough to understand!"

"Oh, you'll understand...when the curse swallows you whole...like a swarm of pirahnas!"

"Wait!...How do you know about the curse?"

"Oh, that's not something you need to worry about...You just need to give in and accept your fate...But, most importantly,...you must...DIE!"

_Saying this, the attacker lunged at me. I still couldn't see his face, as he covered my eyes up with his hooves as soon as he leapt on me. I tried to buck him off, but he held his grip. He began kicking me in the back, possibly attempting to break my spinal colum. I kept moving, so he didn't injure me too badly...But, after several kicks, he landed a hard blow on my flank, knocking me forward into the alley's brick wall. I almost fell unconscious, but I managed to keep myself awake long enough to get back up. After the impact, the attacker had fell off my back, forward, into the brick wall as well. He slumped against the wall, not moving. I thought, for a moment, he was unconscious, but I was wrong. He soon got back up, still hiding his face, and lunged at me again. But, this time, I was ready for him. I dodged him, gave him a hard kick with my back legs, which sent him flying straight up into the air, and blasted him with one of my stun spells. The brightness of my horn's magic kept his face hidden from me yet again, but I didn't care. All I cared about was unleashing everything I had on him. I wanted him to suffer...Then,...the situation became clear._

"AAAUUUUGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!"

_I sent him flying into the distance, him screaming all the way down. I didn't know if the fall killed him or not, but I did know that he wouldn't be able to come after me for a while. I was surprised nopony had heard the commotion and come to investigate. But, that wasn't my concern at the moment...My concern was what I had just done._

"I...I lost control...Just like in the book,..the madness is progressing inside me...It's turning me into a heartless creature...Pretty soon, the madness will consume me...and it shall be the end of me..."

"Twilight? What are you doing here?"

_I looked up to see Orlando. He was running towards me, concern on his face. _

"I can't believe I found you _here_! I was on my way over to your house to invite you to dinner when I heard some noise coming from this alley. Now, I find you here on the ground...with bruises all down your back!"

"Orlando, it's okay. I'm alright. I just fell, that's all."

"I dont' believe you. A normal fall wouldn't make that many bruises."

"Look, I've been dealing with a lot lately. Can we please talk about this later?"

"...Well, alright."

"Now,...about that dinner."

"...Um!...Well, I was actually...um...going to ask you if...you'd come eat with me tonight...at around 7?"

"Well, as touching as that sounds, I'm afraid I'm gonna have to refuse."

"What?...Why?"

"I'm busy tonight. Gotta research some things...But, if it's that important to you, I'll try to go tommorrow."

"Great! Same time?"

"Same time."

_We said good-bye to each other, but he was the only one who left. For as soon as we stopped speaking to each other, I immediately pulled out the book. I didn't even have the intention of going home yet. I didn't need to go home to read more._

**Chapter 10**

**Betrayal**

**Orlando was becoming more and more distant from me,...as I was becoming from my own self. My hallucinations had worsened every day. The shadows were now following me during the day as well as the night. It was frightening,...but I never showed any fear. I felt it,...but never showed it. If the curse was gonna kill me, I wished it would go ahead and do it. I couldn't take any more of the madness...But, I guess, that's how it wanted me to feel. The next morning, I found a note in the kitchen. It was from Orlando. **

**Going out to get some things.**

**Be back later.**

**-Orlando**

**"Not a whole lot to go by. I think I'll go check up on him."**

**If I'd stayed home that day instead of going after him, I might've stayed sane for a little while longer. But, when the mind of a dedicated researcher puts itself onto a goal, it stays there until it's reached. I looked all around town at all the possible places Orlando would've gone, but I wound up with nothing. I was about to give up when I saw it. The sight that would change our relationship,...and my life...forever. Across the street, sitting at a cafe table, was Orlando and Dr. Lori. But, it's not where they were sitting that mattered to me...It's what they were doing. They were kissing and holding hands,...like two lovers who'd known each other their whole lives.**

**"Or-Orlando..."**

**At that moment, my other side, the lost side, kicked in.**

**"See! I told you he was no good! You didn't listen to me and now you're being forced to accept the truth in a more painful way! Take a good look at your **_**lover**_** and tell me what you see."**

**There was no point in arguing with it anymore. My other half was right. I didn't listen to it and now I was having to witness this heart-breaking scene.**

**"I...see...two ponies who don't deserve to live..."**

**"And what are you gonna to about that?"**

**"I...I don't exactly know yet...But, we'll find out soon enough,...won't we?"**

"What? This can't be right! They were so happy together! Why would Orlando do that to her?"

_It was then that I realized that, since the book had been right about a lot of other things, it could also be right about this. There was only one way to find out._

**Author's Note: You may think it's bad about Twilight,...but things are also horrible for a certain rainbow-maned mare. Find out more next chapter!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Note: Sorry for labeling Chapter 10 as Chapter 9...Another mistake. Please keep reading and reviewing. I've noticed a decrease in reviews lately.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic or The Number 23, the cool movie this story is based on .**

**The Number 22**

**Chapter 11**

RRRRRIIIIIINNNNGGGGGG! RRRRRIIIIIINNNNGGGGGG!

"Hello?"

"Hey, Orlando. It's me."

"Oh, hey, Twilight! What's up?"

"Listen, I'm not really _that _busy tonight. Would you still want to go to dinner tonight?"

"Oh, yeah, absolutely!"

"Great! I'll come by your house at 7."

"Twilight?"

"Yeah, Orlando?"

"Are you sure you're alright going out tonight? You seem kind of nervous."

"Oh, no. I'm perfectly fine. Really."

"Oh, okay. Well, bye then."

"Bye."

"Okay. He doesn't _sound _deceptive. But, anything's possible."

_I didn't want to believe Orlando was a cheater like the Orlando from the book. He seemed to have changed since the last time for together...Had he really changed for me? Was this the side of him that he's finally decided to let out?...The caring side? I started preparing for tonight...But, then I realized...I was gonna need a dress._

"Oh, what about this one? How do you like this one?"

_Of course, everypony in Ponyville knows that if you want to find the best dress, you have to go to Carousel Botique...But, I was the type of pony who didn't like fru-fru things,...kind of like Hoofling._

"Um, Rarity?...I think I'll just wear the dress I wore to the Gala."

"Are you sure? Because I've got plenty of dresses for you to choose from."

"Yeah...I noticed."

_In fact, for the past hour, all I had been doing was browsing through Rarity's dresses. But, none of them seemed to fit my personality. Besides, if I wear what I like, then that will be just one more test for Orlando: If he really is a cheater, he won't except me for who I am. Not the best plan in the world, but still._

"I do hope the date goes good for you and..._Orlando_...tonight."

"Now, don't be like that, Rarity. It's just one dinner."

"Oh, it's not just a dinner. It's the first date you two have had in a long time."

"It's not a date! It's just a get-together with a friend."

"But, I thought that, the last time you talked about him to us, you told us you hated his guts and never wanted to see him again."

"...Well..."

_I couldn't help but blush a little bit. Rarity was the type of pony who could squeeze a secret out of you easily...If that didn't work, she could get Fluttershy to give you "The Stare."_

"Okay, then! See you later, Rarity. I've really got to go and get ready! So, bye!"

SLAM!

"Ah, true love."

SLAM!

"Hey, Rarity! Can I talk to you, please?"

"Rainbow Dash, of course you can. Wait, why are you so sweaty and nervous?"

"No time for explaining! I have to talk to someone! I can't take this anymore!"

"What in the wide, wide world of Equestria are you talking about?"

"It involves...Twilight."

_Meanwhile, Orlando and I arrived at Le Mare's. It was the newest, fanciest, and most expensive restaurant in Ponyville. I know I said I didn't like fru-fru stuff, but Orlando insisted we come here. He was either trying to bribe me for something...or he was actually trying to impress me. The old Orlando would've never done something this special for me._

"Alright, Twilight, order anything you like. I'm buying."

"Oh no, Orlando! Let me take care of this..."

"No! This is our date and I want it to be special!"

_After realizing what he'd just said, he began blushing as hard as I was. We both sat there silent for a few moments until I finally spoke up._

"...So,...how have you been,...you know,...before you came here to Ponyville?"

"Oh...I've been alright. Yeah. After our..._seperation_...I found myself a nice apartment in Canterlot."

"Look, Orlando,...I'm...I'm sorry it had to end the way it did. I didn't want to hurt you, really..."

"No, no. It wasn't your fault, Twilight. It was mine."

"Wh-What?..."

"It was mine. I seperated myself from you all the time. I never took time to talk to you...or to admire how beautiful you were...and are..."

_I couldn't believe it. He was actually apologizing to me for what he did to me in the past...and admiring my dress! This Orlando was an entirely different pony than the one I had known in the past...And I liked this one a lot better._

"I'm sorry if I brought up any bad memories for you, Twilight. Please forgi-"

_I leaned in and gave him a kiss right on the lips...The first one we had shared in years...The first one that had felt real. After parting, we both sat silent once again._

"Um,...Twilight?"

"Yes,...Orlando?"

"I have to...use the restroom."

"Oh, okay! Go on ahead...Take as much time as you need."

_After he left, I slammed my head down hard on the table._

"_Take as much time as you need_? Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!"

_I was falling in love with Orlando all over again. I couldn't deny it: Orlando had changed._

"Maybe some aliens kidnapped the Orlando I knew and made an exact duplicate of him, only nicer."

_While he was gone, I decided to catch up on my reading. I now it's a little wierd to sneak a book into a restaurant,...but it's not like I hadn't done it before._

**Chapter 11**

**Temptations**

**I couldn't believe it...Orlando was spending his time out of the house...with my doctor! I was almost mute for the next few days, only saying "Hey" and "Good night." Kind of like he did to me. But, while I wasn't **_**saying **_**a lot, my mind was racing.**

_**"What am I going to do?"**_

_**"He's my whole world!"**_

_**"No, he **_**was **_**your whole world!"**_

**It was as if I had split into a million pieces. Finally, my other sides took over. One day,...just for a little while,...I lost my temper...and my mind.**

**"Honey, I'm going out for a while. I'll see you later."**

**"...Okay, Orlando...Come back safely..."**

**When he was gone, I immediately went off the rocker.**

**SMASH!**

**"That's the most Orlando has talked to me in days! I guess he's finally starting to warm back up to me!"**

**SMASH!**

**"NO, YOU FOOL! Don't you get it! He doesn't love you anymore!"**

**While I was letting my other sides take over, I began smashing everything breakable in the house. Precious photos...smashed. Priceless vases...smashed. Even windows...smashed.**

**SMASH!**

**"Yeah, he's right! You should leave him!"**

**"No, I can't do that!"**

**"Yes, you can!"**

**"Why don't you just kill him?"**

**That last statement made me stop right in my tracks. I finally gained my normal mind back after a few moments.**

**"Kill Orlando? Why would I do that? He may be a cheater, but he's still a pony being! I'm not a murderer!"**

**But, then, an image flashed into my mind. The shadows that I saw the other night. The shadows of somepony stabbing somepony else with a butcher knife. Could they be visions of the future? **

**"NO! I'm not gonna let you do this to me! I'll work this out with Orlando! I won't have to resort to...that."**

**But, just when I thought I was gonna be alright for the rest of the night, one of my other sides took over momentarily.**

**"Yeah...But, just in case you change your mind, you can always turn to the kitchen."**

**By the time I regained my right mind, I was standing over an open drawer in the kitchen...Where an 8-inch butcher knife lay in plain sight.**

"Man, these chapters seem to be shorter than before. She must be losing her mind."

_It was then that I looked at my drinking glass and saw them. They weren't reflections,...but they seemed real. There was an image of an unseen pony stabbing another pony with a butcher knife, fresh blood dripping off the end. The victim looked just like Orlando. I didn't want to stay and find out who the other one was. I got up and ran out of the restaurant, completely forgetting about Orlando in the process. I had to go to Dr. Lori for help._

"Rainbow Dash, I can't believe this! Are you sure you haven't been drinking lately?"

" I only drink at parties! Come on, Rarity, this is serious! I'm not kidding!...I'm-I'm scared..."

"Don't be scared. These visions you've been having about falling off a balcony can't be of any significance...They just can't be..."

"But, what about the fact that Twilight's in them?"

"I...I just don't know...Maybe we should talk to her..."

"Maybe...So, how's your research on Twilight's curse coming, anyways?"

"I'm still looking into it. It's been hard work running the shop and finding time to research it at the same time. But, for my friends, I'll do anything to help!"

"Hey! Do you think my visions have something to do with the curse?"

"I don't know...But, I do know this: That curse has brought a dark cloud over all our lives...one we must work together to remove."

**Author's Other Note: I know this chapter isn't as good as some of my others, but, if you keep reading, it'll get even more intense.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's Note: While I'm continuing this story, check out the other one I'm working on: Daring Do and the Quest for the Sapphire Statue.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic or The Number 23, the cool movie this story is based on .**

**The Number 22**

**Chapter 12**

_I knew where I was headed: to Dr. Lori's office. I had to tell her about my visions. They were just like Hoofling's. But, I didn't want to go crazy like her and have thoughts of killing Orlando...Not Orlando. We had just started reconnecting and I wasn't gonna let the curse mess that up. I had to get the Doc's help before it was too late._

"Come on, Rarity! We've got to find Twilight!"

"Rainbow Dash, stop! This is crazy! Do you honestly think that Twilight will know anything about these visions of yours?"

"She _has _to! Maybe she's having the same type of visions I am! Maybe the curse has given her a psychic connection with me!"

"But, even if that was true, she's got her own problems to deal with right now!"

"Rarity, I don't think her date with Orlando is more important than _this_! I mean, understanding these visions might even help defeat the curse!"

"...Yeah...I guess you're right."

"Come on, then!"

_I kept running, not daring to look around at anypony. I knew they were looking at me, wondering what I was doing running this late at night, but I didn't care. As long as I knew where I was headed, that was all that mattered._

"Okay. Now, I just have to get to Dr. Lori's without running into any difficulties..."

_I turned around the street corner and saw something that stopped me dead in my tracks. I saw Orlando leaned against a brick wall with Dr. Lori, embracing her. They didn't dare hide their kissing scene. They were out where everyone could see them. Most ponies just stared at them adoringly. Me...I was staring with a mixture of anger and heartbreak...But,...mostly heartbreak._

"...Orlando,...why?..."

BAM!

_Someone plowed into me from behind. I was knocked forward on the sidewalk. I was afraid that I had made to much of a scene and that it would attract attention from Orlando and Lori. And, if we met eyes, I knew one of us would have to kill the other. I pulled myself and the mysterious attacker behind the corner and turned to face them._

"Listen, buddy, who the hell do you think you are?"

_It was then that I saw that the pony I was holding was Rainbow Dash. It seemed I had scared her a little bit, as she was trembling under my hoof._

"Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry, Rainbow! I didn't know who you were."

"That's okay, Twilight. _I'm_ sorry for plowing into you. It's just that...there's something I need to talk to you about..."

"Okay, sure Dash. What do you want to talk about?"

"Not here, Twilight," said a familiar voice.

_I looked up to see Rarity walking towards us. She had a look of worry and concern on her face, illuminated clearly by the moonlight._

"What do you mean, "Not here.", Rarity?"

"Rainbow wants to talk to you somewhere private."

_I looked back down at Rainbow to see a look of fear and worry in her eyes. She was still trembling under my hoof. That told me that I hadn't scared her with my yellling...Something else was bothering her...Something she feared._

_Later, at the Carousel Botique, me and Rainbow were sitting by each other on the couch while Rarity had taken herself a seat in the recliner. I didn't want to tell them about what I had seen. Seeing how Dash was shaken up, I didn't want to cause any more excitement...But I knew that, when I had a chance, I was gonna beat the hell out of Orlando. He had only said all those things about me to get another girl to love on. He was a lier, a cheater, and, most of all, a jerk...And, Dr. Lori! How could my personal doctor do this to me? But, then again, Hoofling went through the same situation. It was as though we shared lives...But, then again, I guess we did._

"Alright, Dash, what do you want to talk about?"

_She was still shaken up, but she eventually managed to speak._

"...Well,...lately I've been having these..._visions_...about...um..."

"About what? It's okay, Dash. You can tell me."

"...They've been about me falling, or rather "jumping", off a balcony."

_This hit me like a rock in the face. A sudden thought flashed through my mind. The Italian Blonde jumping off the balcony, landing right in front of Hoofling...Another victim of the curse. But, this made no sense. Why would Rainbow be having these visions?_

"And...there's something else..."

"What? What else?"

"Every time I have them,...you're in them..."

_Me? Why would I be in them? This made absolutely no sense! Was the book trying to give me some kind of hidden message or was it just trying to mess with my mind some more?  
><em>

"Rainbow...I..."

_I couldn't think of what to say, so I just said the first thing that came to my mind._

"...I've never seen you shaken up like this...In fact, I've scarcely seen you shaken up period."

"I said the same thing when she came to me," spoke Rarity, "It's just eating me up with worry...I do hope you'll be alright, Rainbow Dash."

"I hope so too...Twilight?"

"Yes?"

"Could these visions mean something? I mean, could they be some kind of clue in helping defeat the curse?"

"That's what I'm going to find out...tonight."

"Oh no, Twilight!" yelled Rarity, "You're _not _going to stay up all night studying this...Not without us."

"No! You two aren't getting involved in this. I couldn't live with myself if either of you got hurt."

"But, Twilight," interrupted Rainbow Dash, "If these visions can help you get rid of this curse, don't you think you'll need the one who's actually _having _them?"

"Well...I guess you're right...But, you're not the type of pony who stays up studying."

"Maybe not...But, I'm willing to do anything to help my friends!"

"...Thanks."

"And what about me?" asked Rarity.

"We'll be fine, Rarity."

"Okay, Twilight...But, if you need anything, and I mean _anything_, don't hesitate to call me!"

"I won't. Good night, Rarity."

"Good night, Twilight...and Rainbow Dash."

"Night."

_After she left, me and Dash started searching the library, looking for a book on visions and how to handle them. I figured I could use it to start a hypothesis...But the book called me to read another chapter._

"Dash...do you mind if I-"

"Go ahead."

**Chapter 12**

**Taking A Few Steps Back**

**My anger was slowly consuming me as I continued to think about Orlando and his deceptiveness.**

"I'm right there with ya, sister."

"What was that, Twilight?"

"Oh, nothing."

**My other sides were giving me major headaches as they desperately tried to break out and take over.**

_**"How can you just let him come in every night and sleep peacefully? You know he's guilty...and yet you still cook for him!"**_

_**"Shut up, shut up!"**_

**I feared that I was teetering on the verge of losing myself completely. If that happened, I would no longer be able to control myself. I would be forced to watch as my other self killed Orlando. The thought of it lingered in my mind every day. It even drove me to thinking about suicide.**

_**"I mean, if I wasn't around anymore, I wouldn't have to worry about the curse taking me over...or getting any new victims."**_

**But, of course, there was always an opposite thought from my other side.**

_**"But, on the other hand, maybe the curse would be just what somepony else needs. I've had to live with it and others should too. Once they do, they'll know just how cruel the world can really be...I hope Orlando gets it before anypony else."**_

**I finally decided to sit down with Orlando and discuss what I knew,...and hopefully find out a solution to solve the problem...besides doing what my other side suggested.**

**"Listen, Orlando...I know you've been cheating on me..."**

**"Oh,...you do?..."**

**"Yep..."**

**"Well, it's about damn time! I've been waiting on you to figure it out!"**

**"...Wh-What?"**

**"You've become completely obsessed with that number and it's cut into our love life!"**

**That's when I finally snapped.**

**"YOU MEAN **_**YOUR **_**LOVE LIFE! This whole relationship was built off of you getting sex off of me! That's no way to abuse a girlfriend!"**

**"You **_**were **_**my girlfriend! But, now, I'm just using you as a place to live."**

**"...GET...OUT!"**

**"Okay, fine! I mean, who **_**would**_** want to live with a mare who breaks everything she has that's made of glass and just leaves it on the floor?"**

**And, just like that,...he was gone.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Author's Note: Thanks for continuing to review. I'm sorry if the messages I sent sounded forceful. I'm not trying to force you into reading. I'm just checking to make sure you're still following this story. Be sure to check out the other story I'm working on.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic or The Number 23, the cool movie this story is based on .**

**The Number 22**

**Chapter 13**

**February 7**

_The clock struck midnight as my mind continued to mourn about Hoofling's loss...and mine. How could Orlando do this to us? We gave him our love and compassion...and he betrayed us. At first, I didn't want to tell Dash about what I saw around the street corner. I figured that, with the stubborn attitude she can get, she would try to go find Orlando and beat his ass. Even though I was secretly wanting just that to happen, I didn't want her out and about. I had to find out why she was having these type of visions. If the curse didn't want anyone, especially my friends, interferring with my life, then why was Dash having these visions. The only thing I could think to do next was to read another chapter. I mean, the book was right about a lot of things so far. Maybe it could help me better than any other book in the library could. But, before I could get to reading, I got a phone call...And you wouldn't believe who it was._

"Hello?"

"WHAT THE HELL, TWILIGHT?"

_It was Mrs. Cake who, after being tackled by the two rookie cops earlier that day, was probably in jail right about then...And I was sure that when she got out, I was gonna be in deep shit. I had completely forgotten about her! I mean, so much had happened that day that my mind just wondered away...and I left her to be tackled...Is that bad?_

"Oh! Mrs. Cake! How...nice to hear from you-"

"Don't give me that shit, Twilight Sparkle! I hope you can explain to me why you got two cops to tackle me! That wouldn't listen to _anything _I said, the damn rookies!"

"Well, Mrs. Cake, if you'll just let me explain-"

"Now, I'm in jail, rotting in here for something I didn't do! I swear, when I get out of here, I'm gonna have _you _arrested for false charges against your elders!"

"Well, the thing is-"

"I know exactly what's going on here, too! Yeah! Getting me arrested was just another one of your excuses to shirk your community service! But, getting me _arrested_? I swear, those books have made you totally mad! Absolutely _mad_!"

_I didn't mean to say what I said next, but, inside of my mind, a voice was tellling me to "tell the bitch off."_

"And another thing-"

"You know what, Mrs. Cake? You're absolutely right! Books _have _been driving me mad lately! _A _book to be exact! But, you know something?...YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT MAD IS, YA DUMB BITCH! Only _I _know what _MAD _is! _ME_! You want madness? I'll show you madness!...When I come down to that jail cell of yours and slice your throat open! You can call me about your _community service_ all you want, but I'm not gonna do it! I have my own life to attend to, just like you! So, get your own self out of jail...don't rely on me _ANYMORE_!"

_I slammed the phone down onto the reciever, probably leaving Mrs. Cake scared completely shitless. I was breathing rapidly, sweat pouring down my neck. I could fell the veins throbbing in my head. I had lost my mind...It was then that I looked up and saw Rainbow Dash shaking in fear on the couch. She had the worst look of fear on her face, one I would never have expected to see on her, the bravest flier in all of Equestria. At that moment, I realized what I had just screamed to Mrs. Cake and I managed to regain my sanity._

"...Rainbow...I-I'm so sorry you had to hear that..."

"...Twilight...when will this be over?..."

"I don't know,...but the book predicted this. Hoofling went mad over Orlando cheating on her and, just now, the curse possessed me to make me do the same..."

"Wait. Orlando _cheated _onher? But they were so happy together from what you told us!"

_I hadn't meant to tell her about Orlando...either one of them. But then, I decided that, since I had just told the book's side, I was gonna spill the rest of the beans and tell her my side._

"...He-He cheated on both of us..."

"What? What are you talking abo-"

_It was then I saw her realize what I had just said. As I expected, her face, at first, showed a state of shock...and then moved on to a state of total anger._

"Why, that no-good dirtbag! When I get my hands on him, I'll make sure he pays for what he done to you! Toy with my friends emotions, will he? I'll pick him up and drop him from the highest point in the sky!...Right into a bottomless pit!-"

"Rainbow! None of that will be necessary! I'll handle that situation on my own. For now, we need to concern ourselves with your visions."

"...I guess so"

_She was still upset about the situation, but I just ignored her anger face. I asked her to try and remember when her visions started and try to write down every one she's had since. After I would get done with the next chapter, I would look at the visions and see if there were any major differences or similarities._

**Chapter 13**

**Moving Back Forward**

**Once Orlando left me, I began to feel a mixture of happiness, anger, and deep sorrow...Well, **_**I **_**didnt' feel them...My other sides did. I was still keeping them in my mind and not letting them speak out of my mouth,...but it was getting harder and harder to do that.**

_**"Hallelujah! Thank Celestia he's gone! Vamoose! Outta here! I swear, I had my doubts about you at first, kiddo, but, when you spoke your mind, you really let him have it!"**_

**"NO! I didn't want any of this! But,...it's just,...him cheating on me-"**

_**"Oh, boo-hoo...BLAH! You **_**still **_**never did what **_**I **_**told you to do! You didn't kill him when you got the chance! I supplied you the knife...You just had to do the rest,...and you BLEW IT!"**_

**"I don't plan on ever killing **_**anypony**_**!...Not if it makes **_**you **_**happy!"**

_**"That's right, sister, you tell him! You let those compressed emotions out of your system! I know that you desperately want him back and that you'll do anything to get him, but, darling, you're gonna have to ACT if you want that to happen! You must go find him and-"**_

_**SLASH!**_

**In my mind, I saw the demon that had yelled at me moments ago stab the encouraging demon in the chest. It fell down dead, black blood spurting out of the wound.**

_**"Now, you see, that wasn't hard at all...Why couldn't you have done the same?"**_

**"BECAUSE I'M NOT LIKE YOU!...SO JUST **_**GO AWAY**_**!"**

**My mind fell silent, as did the room. I had no reason to yell anymore. I looked up at the ceiling for any shadows, but there were none. It was as if the room had just died. Nothing was moving or making a noise,...not even the clocks.**

**RRRRRRRIIIIIINNNNNGGGG!**

**The phone started ringing. I hesitated to answer it, not wanting any more pressure put on me, but, finally I decided to pick it up. I mean, who could be on the phone that could be more deceptive than those demons?...**_**My **_**demons.**

**"Hello?"**

**"Hey, Twilight. What's going on?"**

**"Oh, Officer Bookworm! How nice to hear from you again! How's it been?"**

**"Oh, fine. I was just looking through the files of the man you encountered a few days ago...at the apartment?"**

**The Suicide Blonde. I had almost completely forgotten about him...The one who killed himself because of the curse...and passed it on to me. I suddenly felt angry, wanting to tear open his coffin and burn his corpse. If it weren't for him, I would have never been in this predicament.**

**"...Yes, I remember **_**him**_**..."**

**"Well, I found out a piece of information you might find intriguing."**

**"Really? And what might that be?"**

**"Well, I found out the victim's father's name...Dashing Clouds."**

**Images immediately began pouring through my mind. Me going to visit a sick pegasus at the hospital. He was a victim of cancer and I was visiting him for an interview. I used to be fascinated with cancer...until it took my grandmother's life.**

**"I remember him,...but it's been so long. I'm not surprised that either one of us could recognize the other."**

**"Well, I thought I'd share that with ya."**

**"Yes...thank you, Officer Bookworm."**

**After hanging up with him, another demon popped into my head with another **_**encouraging **_**message.**

_**"Well, that was an absolute waste of time, wouldn't you say?"**_

**I couldn't really rebel, so I just kept silent and waited for him to go away...Unfortunately, though, when I went to bed, he came back and stayed with me all night...tempting me.**

_The name "Dashing Clouds" hit me like a ton of bricks. The book had to be toying with me...It just had to! I was praying to Celestia that the theory I had about that name's significance was not true._

"...Um,...Rainbow Dash?"

"Yeah, Twilight?"

"Was there anyone in your family named Dashing Clouds?"

"I've told you before, Twilight. He was my dad."

_I felt like screaming, but the curse wouldn't let me. It paralyzed my vocal chords, forcing my mind to wander. It was making me realize the horrible truth...Even though her mane color is different,...Rainbow Dash is the Suicide Blonde._


	14. Chapter 14

**Author's Note: I'm gonna put a hold on **_**Daring Doo and the Sapphire Statue**_** until I get this one done. Thanks for your attention.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic or The Number 23, the cool movie this story is based on .**

**The Number 22**

**Chapter 14**

_I couldn't believe it...Rainbow Dash was the Italian Blonde,...or at least an altered version. This couldn't be right. I mean, sure, it did explain why she would be having these visions, but...she just couldn't be like him! She wasn't blonde, she wasn't cursed, and, most importantly of all, she was still alive! I had to figure this out,...but how was I supposed to tell her this?_

"You okay, Twilight? You look like you just seen a ghost...or, worse, _Orlando_."

"...Huh? Oh, no! I'm fine, Dash...Um, can I ask you something?"

"Sure, anything."

"Okay, um,...where does your family tree descend back to?"

"What kind of a question is that?"

"Um!...It's nothing important! I'm just...wondering, that's all."

"Oh. Well, my family did descend back to Italy."

_Great._

"Well, um, have you ever had blonde hair or have thought about dying it blonde?"

"...Um,...well, that's actually the color I wanted when I was a filly. I thought the rainbow colors were a little tomboyish, but, eventually, I just decided to accept them as who I am."

"Oh, that's...great..."

"You're acting strange, Twilight...Well, stranger than usual. What's going on?"

"I...I'm just-"

"And don't say you're asking me these questions to pass the time! I _know _you're not! Something's bothering you and I want to know what!"

_What was I supposed to say? "Oh, it's nothing, really. I just found out that you're probably going to throw yourself off a balcony soon." Yeah, like that was gonna happen._

"Well, you see, Dash. The truth is that I...I'm still upset with Orlando!"

_I could see her thinking on that answer, running it through her mind to see if it was believable. I could see traces of doubt on her face. I was almost for certain that she wasn't gonna buy it...But, she did._

"I'm sorry, Twi. I should've known you'd still be a little upset over _him_. I promise that, when this is all over, I'll make sure to give him a hard buck out of Ponyville...the hard way!"

"Thanks, Dash,...I guess."

_She continued to write down her visions like I told her to. I had almost forgotten that I was supposed to read them after I got done reading...that chapter. The one that revealed the horrible truth. I yawned. Looking at the clock, I discovered it was 1:22 A.M._

"Man, it's getting late, huh Dash?...Dash?"

_I looked over to find her asleep on the couch. The notebook she was writing in had fallen to the floor. I went and picked it up. I decided to give it a look._

"Hmm...These visions are almost all exactly the same!"

_It was true. All of them seemed to have her jump off a balcony,...with me watching from below. She would fall right in front of me, me not bothering to try and catch her._

"Oh, Dash,...I'm so sorry."

_I started crying. I figured letting out some tears would help rid me of sadness. However, my moment of relief was interrupted when I looked up at the ceiling. I saw a shadow stretched across it, illuminated by a desklamp I had turned on...One of a horned figure...The demon. I didn't want to yell at it and wake up Dash, so I tried to speak to it with my mind._

_"Go away. I don't want you hear. You messed with Hoofling's subconscious, but I won't let you mess with mine."_

_"But isn't the curse already doing that job? I mean, come on, look at what it's done to you, Twilight! You look awful!"_

_It was true. Every morning, I had looked at myself in the mirror, slowly decaying. Bags were forming under my eyes, knots were tangling themselves in my hair, and paleness was slowly spreading over my face._

_"I don't care what you say...Neither you or the curse is gonna hurt Dash. I'll make sure of it."_

_"Will you know?...We'll just see about that."_

_With that, the voice stopped. I breathed a sigh of relief...and then choked on it when I looked back at the ceiling. The shadow was stretching itself over to the other side of the room...It was heading towards Dash._

"No...No! Don't you hurt her!"

_HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!_

_He was laughing at me. He knew I couldn't do anything to stop him. The curse was something far beyond my control...and it wanted my friends out of the way...But, even though I wasn't supernatural like the curse, I wasn't gonna let Dash down. So, I galloped over to her and tried to shake her awake._

"DASH!...DASH, WAKE UP!"

_But, it was no use. She was in a deep sleep...and I knew why. She was having a vision while she was asleep...she was dreaming it. The curse had trapped her while she was vulnerable and now it was going to finish her off._

"NO! DASH, COME ON, NO!"

_The shadow came right off the ceiling. Not down the wall...It literally unstuck itself from the ceiling and started lowering down towards the couch._

_"It's no use, Twilight. She's ours now."_

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

_Dash finally managed to wake up. I don't know how, but she did._

"Twilight?...Thank Celestia that's over with!"

_I pulled her into a tight hug and kept it for what seemed like hours. As she was gasping for breath, frightened at what just occured, I began to realize why the curse hadn't taken her life...It was playing with me,...trying to toy with my emotions. This was both good and bad. It was good that Dash was still with me, but it was bad that, since the curse had spared someone, something it doesn't normally do, it will wait for an even better opportunity to do its job. It was gonna come at me when I least suspected._

"Dash, I'm so glad you're back!"

"...Yeah...Me too..."

_I felt her loosen herself from my arms. Her tone of voice had convinced me that something was wrong. She brought her face in front of mine...It showed surprise. The type of face someone attending their own surprise party has...It also showed fear...The type of face that someone who just found out their spouse of 15 years has been cheating on them the whole time has...I knew she had just had a revelation._

"Dash,...what's wrong?"

_"Isn't it obvious, Twilight? She's remembering who she is!"_

_The demon voice. It was back. What was it talking about, though?_

_"What are you talking about?"_

_"Listen and all shall be revealed."_

"Twilight,...I was supposed to die."

_"WHAT?"_

_"Yes,...go on, Rainbow Dash."_

"I met you before you came to Ponyville,...back in Canterlot. It was when I was just starting out on my own. I had rented myself an apartment to live in while I began training for the WonderBolts...But, the curse found me. It was passed on to me from my daddy...and I had to get rid of it before it could do any further harm."

"Dash...What are you-"

"And now I have to finish what I started..."'

"What! Dash, what are you trying to say?"

_"She's saying that, after she jumped off the balcony, she survived. She suffered some brain damage on account of it and forgot it all...The curse...You...Her past life. She then moved to Ponyville, hoping to start over...But, now, she has to end it all..."_

"It's the only way, Twilight."

"No...NO!"

_I couldn't stop her. She pushed me down and ran to the window. She flung open the shutters and stretched out her arms, like a baby bird preparing its first flight. I got up and started to run over there, the demon laughing in my head all the way._

_"HE HE HE! It's all over now! She's finished!"_

"SHUT UP!"

_I got within a few feet of her, but, before I could say something, she looked back at me and spoke._

"Good-bye Twilight."

_It happened so fast. She was out the window before I could start screaming. Before I reached the window, it was too late. She hit the ground face-first. I looked down at her limp figure. She didn't move...She was gone._

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

_By the time the paramedics arrived, I had already run out of tears. The curse had won this round and I was just gonna have to accept it. The real problem was going to be tellling the girls. We all treated Dash like family...and now she was just...gone. I walked back inside, not wanting to see her body carried away. When I got back, I saw the book on the table. I decided to see what it had to say about this. This chapter was very short, not even going over a page._

**Chapter 14**

**The Only Way?**

**My life has no purpose anymore. Officer Hoofling's phone call didn't give me a lead on anything. **

_"BULLSHIT! You're messing with my head, you bastard!"_

**It seems no one can help me. The demons seems to be the only ones that actually still talk to me.**

_"Yeah,...and I'm stuck with the worst of them all."_

_**"There's no one left for you, Hoofling. You should just give up. The curse will eventually drive you to madness and you'll just end up hurting others in the process. Why don't you just give in?"**_

_**"...Because, unlike you, I have a future to look forward to. I can still get married to someone special,...have some kids to call my own...I could have a family to care for,...while you're stuck tempting random ponies over and over again."**_

_**"...You cut me deep, Twilight. Real deep...But, even you have to admit that there is no way out of this. Your future's set in stone...How are you going to respond?"**_

**I though about that for a while. The demon was actually making sense in his own twisted way. If there really is no way to fight the curse off,...then what's the point of even trying anymore?**

_**"You know, Hoofling, even though you didn't kill Orlando with the knife,...you can still carry out a job with it..."**_

**I knew what he was wanting...What **_**the curse **_**was wanting...They were wanting me to end my own life...And, sadly,...at that point in my life,...it seemed to be a fair solution.**

_"...Is that what I'm supposed to do? End my life?...I guess it would be fair to others, seeing as how it would stop the curse from spreading...But it still just doesn't seem right...What should I do?...?_


	15. Chapter 15

**Author's Note: I know, I know...It's horrible that Dash killed herself. I love Rainbow Dash, so it feels bad killing her off...By the way, DJtheBrony, Dash killed herself because her memory finally came back to her. They made her remember how bad the curse affected her life and she wanted to finish what she started the first time...And, yes, now Twilight is the main carrier.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic or The Number 23, the cool movie this story is based on .**

**The Number 22**

**Chapter 14**

_I wanted to erase what had just happened...I wanted to bring Dash back...The girls eventually found out about it...I mean, how could they not have? The ambulances came by the bundle to my house. Hell, I bet everypony in Equestria heard the sirens. They came to the library, confused and scared...and left horrified beyond belief...I don't think I've ever seen them cry that much. After a few hours of me trying to comfort them(and failing at the most), they finally left, along with the paramedics. I was once again left alone...Alone to think...Was killing myself really the only way out of this?...Well,...at least I'd be with Dash...I needed answers._

**Chapter 15**

**Fulfilling My Destiny**

_Yes,...I was reading. Believe me, it was actually the last thing I wanted to do. In fact, I was so angry with the curse that I wanted to die right there...and finally be away from it. But, I knew there was nopony else who could help me with something like this...Dr. Lori had already proved her trustworthiness and my friends were stressed enough as it was,...so I was left on my own._

**Picture this image if you will: A dark forest...Small amounts of sunlight streaming through the holes in the dead treetops...Insects buzzing all around the marsh-like area...Snakelike vines wrapping themselves around anything they can grab...A mare and stallion making love in the middle of it all...That's what I was seeing. Orlando and Dr. Lori had decided to choose somewhere private to do their secret meetings...As I watched them enjoy themselves, the demon's words still rang through my mind.**

_**"There's no one left for you, Hoofling. You should just give up. The curse will eventually drive you to madness and you'll just end up hurting others in the process. Why don't you just give in?"**_

**And my response rang through my head as well.**

_**"...Because, unlike you, I have a future to look forward to. **_

**Looking back on that, I didn't really think before I answered that...I mean, now that I think about it,...I **_**didn't **_**have a future.**

_**"You know, Hoofling, even though you didn't kill Orlando with the knife,...you can still carry out a job with it..."**_

**It took some time,...but I had finally understood what the demon was **_**really **_**saying. He didn't want me to kill myself...He wanted me to try again on Orlando...And, this time,...I knew **_**exactly **_**what I had to do...I left them to do their business and headed to my destination...Dr. Lori's office. I had a feeling that's where they would meet when they had nothing else to do...My assumptions were correct. They arrived about an hour later, still in the mood for love. They went up to the bedroom and basically did a repeat of what they did in the forest, me watching them in the closet. After a few minutes, Dr. Lori said exactly what I wanted her to say, putting the next phase of my plan into effect.**

**"I gotta use the bathroom."**

**"No you don't."**

**"Yes, I do!"**

**"Man...You **_**always **_**have to use the bathroom...at the worst possible time!"**

**"And that's what you love about me, right?"**

**I saw a smile cross his face as she said that. They kissed one last time and he left. Orlando did have a point...A lot of mares have weak bladders and usually have to go at random times...It's part of getting older.**

**"Hurry back, please!"**

**As he settled back down, I saw him pull out a condom from his saddlebag and start to put it on...**_**Men**_**...As he turned toward the wall, desperately trying to get it on, I slowly opened the closet door and began to walk out. He was faced the opposite way, so he didn't even see me coming...Then,...I did just what the curse wanted.**

**"Hello Orlando."**

**Before he even had a chance to turn around, I gave my butcher knife a quick thrust...right into his neck. As he turned around to look at me, I saw a state of shock come across his face...and the light fade from his eyes. I didn't stop there...I had no mercy on him. I stabbed him mercilessly...everywhere. I got him in the legs, stomach, chest, flank, cheek, even both of his eyes. By the time my bloodlust was quenched, my purple coat was spashed with red, like a canvas sitting out to dry. As I observed my handywork, I noticed something familiar about the stab wounds.**

**"Hmm?...How many are there?...5...10...15...20...21...and 22! Ha! What a coincidence!"**

**I heard Dr. Lori coming back up the stairs, so I bailed out the window. I climbed down and ran across the street. I stopped myself at the street corner...It only took about ten seconds for it to happen.**

**"AAAAUUUUUUGGGGGGHHHHHH!"**

**The cops arrived not too long afterwards. Deputy Bookworm barged in the front door and, in no time at all, came back out with Dr. Lori. She seemed to be in shock, so it wasn't hard for the sheriff to cuff her. She was taken away and soon, after searching the perimeter and removing the body, the authorities left. I pulled my gloves off and disposed of them in a nearby waste basket. My job was done...Her future was set in stone.**

That gave me no help at all. It was more of a persuasion. The curse still wanted me to kill Orlando. The curse had a way of putting things in the book to coincide with my life in the worst possible ways,...like making Dash the Italian Blonde. As I fought to decide what to do next, I heard a bark coming from outside.

"What the heck? What could that be?"

_I opened the window and looked down. There, on my lawn, was Ned._

"_Nasty Evil Dog_...This is all your fault! If you hadn't made me late,...!"

_He stared at me coldly, like he was expecting me to kill him...And that's exactly what I planned on doing. I slammed the windows shut, ran down the stairs, and flung open the door. He was still sitting still, as if he had no fear at all._

"Not afraid, huh? Well, I'm gonna give you something to be afraid of!"

_I knew a lot of stun and paralysis spells,...and, ever since he first got away from me, I had practiced a new spell just for him. It wasn't hard to do. It just stunned the victim for 12 hours at the most...Not dangerous,...but just what he needed. _

"You'll enjoy this, Ned...Or, at least, I will!"

_As if I had taken a shot at him, he immediately bolted away...But, I wasn't gonna let him get away that easily._

"Oh no you don't!"

_I chased him down the street, not letting him out of my sight for a moment. He never looked back at me, nor did he make any kind of sound. He just kept running,...until he led me to Ponyville Cemetary...The place where I lost him the first time._

"Oh no, not again! Where'd you go this time?"

_This time, I found him. He was sitting in front of one of the graves, staring directly at it. It was wierd...It was like he had forgotten about me and was now focused on this grave...However, I wasn't gonna let him use this as an excuse...He was mine this time._

"Night-night, Neddy!"

_I shot the stun spell at him. As expected, he fell down fast. I went over to make sure he was okay. He was still breathing normally. He was kind of stunned, though. I guess he hadn't expected an attack from me...Big mistake._

"I got ya, Ned! HA HA! You're so lucky I have a big heart for animals...I mean, with the predicament you've put me in, I could've done a _lot _worse to you...I guess Fluttershy's kinda rubbed off on me."

_I heard leaves crunching behind me. I turned around to see an elderly stallion dressed in a white robe coming towards me. He was staring at Ned, looking worried._

"Ned? Ned, are you okay?"

_He knelt beside him and stroked him down his side. After realizing he was still breathing, he looked up at me._

"What did you do to him?"

"I-I just used a simple stun spell on him. He'll be up again in 12 hours at the most."

"Why would you do this?"

"Well...It's just that..."

_I didn't really know how to explain it, so I just kept quiet._

"You know, Ned here's a real special dog."

"He is?"

"Yes. He comes down here every day, keeping watch over these graves. That's why I gave him the nickname "The Guardian of the Dead."

_The Guardian of the Dead? What a wierd name to give to a dog! After examining the stallion, I figured him to be the pastor of the nearby church. It was then that I noticed the name on the grave that Ned had been watching...Laura Toffee...The same grave I saw the last time I was hear...But, what was even more wierd was how long she lived...She was born February 10, 1980, and she died February 10, 2003._

"She died on her 23rd birthday..."

"Huh?...Oh yes, my dear. Tragic story about her. Apparently, she had a secret affair with a doctor and then he just, out of the blue, killed her. He claims that he didn't do it and that he just found her on the bed dead, but his DNA was found all over the knife. He's currently serving his time in prison."

_Then,...it became clear...I knew what I had to do next._


	16. Chapter 16

**Author's Note: I'm sorry for labeling the last chapter as Chapter 14...And, also, I'm still very sorry for killing Dash. But keep reading!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic or The Number 23, the cool movie this story is based on .**

**The Number 22**

**Chapter 16**

_I knew exactly what I had to do now. Laura Toffee's tombstone made it all come to me. I immediately headed over to Carousel Botique. I knew that all the girls were there having tea...Rarity had invited them there after she heard the news...Man,...I still missed her._

"Rarity, it's Twilight. May I come in?"

_The door opened slowly, revealing Rarity. You could tell she'd been crying because of the eyeliner running down her cheek. Normally, she'd have a freak-out about that sort of thing,...but, that evening, she just didn't feel the need to. _

"O-Of course, Twilight. Come on in...The girls are here, too."

_Everyone except Dash._

"Rarity?"

"Yes, Twilight?"

"I was actually hoping that I could talk to you all about something I discovered."

"Well,...sure, I guess. What's it about?"

"...Well,...that's the thing..."

"What?"

"It's about..._the curse_."

"...Twilight,...do you really think we should be talking about that after..."

_She fell silent upon hearing that, looking down at the floor. I could see her trying to hold back tears. I knew this wasn't the most appropriate topic to be discussing at the moment, but I had found out something very important and I needed to tell them._

"I'm sorry, Rarity. But, this is very important."

"...Alright, then...I just want this to be over..."

"I know...So do I."

_I despised the curse with all my soul...and I knew the girls did too. Why did it have to be Dash?... Why couldn't it have been me?_

"Everyone!...Twilight has something to talk to us about."

_Everyone was gathered around in a circle, some on the couch and some in chairs. They all had cups in their hooves,...but no one was drinking any of the tea. They were all trying to hold back tears. When Rarity made the announcement, everyone looked up at us, but without changing their sad expressions. I knew nothing in the world was gonna lift their spirits. Rarity pulled a chair away from the kitchen table and placed it in the main room for me to sit in. I sat down, waited for her to take a seat, and began._

"Well,...I was out at the Ponyville Cemetary when I came across this grave...One of a Laura Toffee."

_I was expecting Pinkie Pie to say something funny about toffee, you know, like the normal Pinkie Pie would do...Well, normal for her, at least...But, no. This was a totally new Pinkie Pie...No happy face, no poofed-up mane, no joy...No joy...Just like everypony else._

"Anyways," I continued, " I noticed that Ms. Toffee died on her..._23rd birthday_..."

_After saying this, everypony in the room tensed up. It was as if a cold wind had blown through the room, chilling everypony to the bone. However, after a few moments, everypony's face changed to that of sadness...and, soon after, anger._

"Um, Twilight?" asked Rarity.

"Yes?"

"What does Ms. Toffee dying on her 23rd birthday have to do with our...situation?"

"Well, that's just what I went into researching about today...and I came up with this."

_Saying this, I pulled a newspaper out of my saddlebag and placed it on the coffee table for everypony to see. Rarity was the one to finally read it out loud._

"Young Woman Killed By Secret Lover. _The Full Story_?"

"Yep. Turns out Ms. Toffee was having a secret relationshipwith the town's doctor."

"Where exactly are you going with this, Twilight?" asked Rarity.

"Well, you see, out of nowhere, she was found dead on her apartment bed. The doctor's DNA was found on the knife, so he was taken to prison...However, he claims that he didn't do it!...Do you guys see where I'm going with this?...Her doctor...is Topsy Kretts!"

"Are you sure about that, Twilght?" spoke up Fluttershy.

"It seems pretty convincing...The book seems to be his..._warped _literary confession to the murder!...And I've got to go and visit him..."

"What?" yelled Applejack. "You can't be serious, Twilight!"

"Yes, I am. Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well,...I mean,...you're going to visit with a convicted murderer?"

"...Yes...I'm doing it for us...and Dash..."

_At that, everypony got quiet. We stayed silent for a little bit, until Pinkie Pie finally broke the silence._

"Well,...you just come back to us safe, Twilight."

"Thanks, Pinkie. I will."

"Pinkie Promise?"

_I was relieved to see a little bit of that Pinkie Pie humor still left in her,...even if she didn't smile when she asked it._

"Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye."

_Saying that, I let myself out. I was gonna have to call about three cabs and tell each of them to take me as far as they could, because the prison's address was on the far side of Equestria._

_After a couple of hours on the road, the third taxi finally made it to the prison. It was a big gray-bricked castle-looking building surrounded by a giant fence of razor wire. I counted twelve guards guarding the place, some on the watchtowers and some at the main entrance. Storm clouds hung above the place, casting gloom over the entire perimeter._

_"Well, this place looks joyful."_

"That's gonna be twenty-two bits, ma'am."

"Of course, sir."

_After giving him the money, I noticed him looking me over, a look of concern in his eyes._

"Um,...is there something wrong, sir?"

"No, ma'am. I'm just getting some weird vibes from you."

"Oh...I get that a lot."

_I started to get out of the cab when he placed his hoof on my shoulder. I turned back to look him in the eyes. That concerned look was still in them._

"You be careful, ma'am."

"...I will."

_Hearing that, he nodded, closed the door, and drove off. I watched until the cab disappeared into the distance._

_"Why is everypony telling me to be careful? I'm not in any real danger,...am I?"_

_I turned toward the prison and began walking to the entrance. The guards let me in once I told them I was hear to visit one of the prisoners. I made it to the main desk. A middle-aged gray stallion was behind the desk, not doing anything. It was as if he was expecting me._

"Hello, sir. I'm here to see a Dr.-"

"Bonsworth?"

"Yeah...How'd ya know?"

"He's the only Dr. we got here...But, he doesn't really go by that title anymore...Not since the murder."

"Yes...I understand."

_He led me into the visiting room. I was to stand behind the glass while he would come in on the other side. We would communicate through a little voice box...Funny...I was confined in a little white room and he had a vast area of space to walk around in. After waiting a few minutes, I saw him enter through the door. He was a handsome forty-something stallion with a gray coat and a black mane...However, that black mane was in a big mess, not looking like it had been combed in years. He had a few scars on his hooves, possibly from trying to cut himself. He walked right over to the glass and stopped right in front of me where our eyes could meet. He had obviously done this before._

"Good afternoon," he spoke.

_At first, I didn't exactly know what to say. I mean, I had never met him before and it would've been kind of strange if I would've just blurted out something about the curse. I was going to start off our conversation with a "hello", but, before I knew it, something inside me took over my vocal chords and made me yell._

"Good afternoon,...TOPSY KRETTS!"

_Saying this, I slammed the book against the glass for him to see it. He didn't flinch at all._

"What is that?"

"Oh, don't play dumb with me! I've been reading your book! Don't act like you don't know!"

_He still said nothing, nor did he move._

"Well, don't you have something to say for yourself? I mean, because of your book, my life has been a living hell for the past week!"

"...Listen,...I don't know what the hell you're going on about, but I've never written a book...And, if I did, I certainly wouldn't have chosen a ridiculous pen name like "Topsy Kretts."

_I had never really thought about that...It seems Topsy Kretts is actually a homophone for "Top Secrets." But, I wasn't gonna let that distract my anger._

"...I don't believe you...YOU LYING BASTARD!"

_It was then that he finally looked into my eyes closely, seeming to scan my soul as he did._

"My best friend just took her own _life _because of this!...And I'm not leaving until you tell me how you found out about this curse!..._And_ why you wrote this book!..._And_ why it seems to mirror my past and seemingly predict my future!"

_He walked closer to the glass where his nose was almost touching and, still staring into my eyes, began to whisper to me._

"Do you know what it's like to be charged for a murder you know you didn't do?...Your mom and dad tell you that it's gonna be okay and that they'll come to visit you every day...That they'll help you get through this...But, you soon notice something...Your dad doesn't want to look you in the eyes...and he's crying...Not because he's sad...Because he's angry...Soon, both of them just stop coming...Your sister soon does the same...Then, you get the call from mom and dad that your sister couldn't bear her big brother being in jail...and it eventually drove her to the point of taking her own life...And, now,...you're sitting in here every day,...wondering what could've been...I loved Laura...and I still do...But, I can't help you with your problem...But, I can tell you this...I know what it's like to have someone close to you kill themself..."

_Saying this, he walked to the door and let himself out. I was left alone,...thinking about what he had said._

_"Wow...I guess he didn't do it...But, then,...who did?"_

_I called the taxi service. They said it would be about 5 minutes. I decided to read another chapter while I waited. I opened to Chapter 16...It was very short._

**Chapter 16**

**Regrets**

**"...What have I done?..."**

_**"You've done well, Hoofling! I knew you could do it!...I just KNEW IT!"**_

**I didn't have the energy to argue with it, so I just let it continue...There was no point of me trying to resist anymore...I was a murderer in hiding...The curse was eventually gonna get worse and, soon, it would take me,...just like the Italian Blonde.**

_**"What's wrong, Hoofling? This isn't a time of sorrow...It's a time for CELEBRATING! Hooray!"**_

**"Can you please just leave me alone? I'm not in the mood for talking to you."**

_**"But, I'm always in the mood to talk to YOU! You see, Hoofling, even if I wasn't, you still couldn't get rid of me. We're a part of each other, you and I. There's no seperating us. We're a pair...Two of a kind..."**_

**That's when I snapped.**

**"I am NOT LIKE YOU! You're just saying this shit to mess with my mind!...STOP IT!"**

_**"...I'm not saying this to mess with you...You're just afraid to accept the truth..."**_

**He was right. I was just running away from it all. There was no way I was gonna win against the curse...I thought that I should just try to live my life like normal until the curse kills me...I mean, nopony could help me...Both of the town's sorcerers were dead,...one because of me,...and Officer Bookworm would just give me some more useless information...I was screwed.**

_"BASTARD! It's messing with my head again! It's making me think there's no way out of this!..."_

"Well, I'M NOT LISTENING!"

_I realized not long after that I had yelled that last part. I looked around to make sure nopony had heard me. Just then, the taxi pulled up. It was the same driver that drove me here. However, he had nothing more to say to me. He wanted me to be careful and that was all._

_After a long while, I finally arrived at my house. I was ready to go to bed and prepare for another sleepless night when my phone rang. It was Rarity._

"Oh,Twilight, thank Celestia I've gotten ahold of you! I've been so stupid!"

"Wait, Rarity! Why are you saying that? You're not stupid!"

"Yes I am, Twilight! There's a piece of information I found about the book that I forgot to tell you!"

"Well, what is it?"

"I'll tell you tomorrow. Wake up bright and early and come to the Botique...And bring the book."


	17. Chapter 17

**Author's Note: Thanks for sticking with this story everyone. I've got a few more chapters left to being done...And remember...ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic or The Number 23, the cool movie this story is based on .**

**The Number 22**

**Chapter 17**

**February 8**

_I woke up bright and early the next morning just like Rarity told me to do. I managed to somehow fall asleep with the demon still chattering on inside my mind. I knew I was gonna need my strength for tomorrow,...because I knew whatever Rarity had to tell me was pretty major._

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

"Come in."

CCCCRRRRREEEEEAAAAKKKK!

"Hey, Rarity."

"Oh, Twilight. I'm so glad you could make it. This is important!"

"What exactly do you have to tell me?"

"Well, while I had the book at my house, trying to keep it away from you-"

"Yeah,..._that_ was frustrating."

"...Yes...Anyways, while I had it, I took some of my spare time to look through the book."

"You read some of it?"

"Oh, no. I just wanted to see if the book had anything to offer."

"You mean like subscription cards or something?"

"Yes...I always have been one for cheap magazine offers...But, anyways, I noticed the inside of the back cover was starting to peel off. I went ahead and peeled it off all the way...and noticed something"

"What?"

"There was a P.O. Box address printed on the cover's inside. I didn't think of it as important, so I just forgot about it."

_I pulled out the book and flipped to the back. She was right._

"Rarity, this is excellent! Thank you so much!"

"Oh, it was nothing, Twilight. I mean, the only reason I found it was because of my,...um,..._snooping_."

"Never mind that! This address gives me an idea!"

"What sort of idea?"

"...We're gonna mail some boxes to this address..."

"Boxes?-"

"Twenty-two of them..."

_We placed our order to the address. Now all we needed to do was wait...for Topsy Kretts._

"Do you really think he or she will take the bait?"

"I know he or she will! Topsy Kretts _has _to come here! He's just got to..."

_We stood waiting at the street corner, keeping a careful eye on the post office...Funny...I was supposed to do my community service there for Mrs. Cake...And, now, she was in prison...Oh, well...After a while of waiting, Rarity finally started to get bored...and so did I._

"Ugh...How long have we been out here?"

"I don't know, Rare...YAWN...But, however long, it's not long enough!"

_Suddenly, we saw a hooded figure enter the post office._

"Do you think that's our target, Twilight?"

"I know it is!"

_We ran into the post office, letting the door slam behind us._

"TOPSY KRETTS," I yelled, "WE FOUND YOU!"

_The hooded figure turned around to face us...and it wasn't who we had expected._

"You!...No,...that-that's impossible!...You're supposed to be dead!..."

"I was thinking the same thing about you, Twilight."

"But-But how? The curse killed you!"

_It was Doctor Whooves, alive and well...Except for the dark look on his face._

"I'm afraid you're only half-right, my dear. I'm not who you think I am...I am actually Doctor Whooves' twin brother..._Doctor Whooves_!"

"Um," spoke up Rarity, "I didn't quite catch the difference."

"Oh, but there _is _a difference!...One of us is _dead_!..._But_, we have something important _in common_: We've both had rather unfortunate encounters with Ms. Sparkle..."

"What do you mean? I've never seen you before in my life!"

"Oh, _haven't you_?"

_Then I remembered: the alley. The strange hooded male with the raspy voice. His voice matched perfectly with the one we were hearing now._

"You're the guy from the alley!"

"Correct, my dear!"

"But,...what do you want from me?"

"The same thing my brother wanted..."

_Saying that, he pulled out a knife and slit his throat. We both gasped in horror. Rarity ran over to him. I stayed where I was, not knowing what to think._

"His breathing is slowing down fast! Twilight, we have to call a hospital!"

_Finally, my dark side mixed with my mind, causing me to say what I was thinking...Which wasn't the right thing._

"NO! Don't you _dare _die on me, you hear me? Tell me what you know!-"

"TWILIGHT! We don't have time for that! Call the hospital now!"

_Having no other option, I did as she said. Rarity, however, was having a conversation with him...I didn't find out what it was until later._

"Don't you worry, sir! You're going to be alright!"

"...Ma-Ma'am...P-Please...t-t-take this..."

_He had handed her his card...His ID card_

"Wh-What do you want me to do with this?"

"T-Take it...to the a-address...and you'll f-f-find out...why I did...what I did..."

_The doctors didn't make it in time. He lost too much blood...and died with Rarity by his side._

_Later that afternoon, I had nothing else to do, so I decided to see what Hoofling was up to._

**Chapter 17**

**A New Hope?**

"Huh? _A New Hope? _What could this mean? Does she finally figure out a way to beat the curse?"

**With the visions flashing through my mind, the demons chattering in my head, and the temptations of suicide rushing through me, I was having the worst days of my life as the curse continued to swallow me whole.**

**"...Why did this have to happen to me?...Why me?...I was always Mommy and Daddy's favorite little girl...So, why me?..."**

**As I used what little free will I had left to think about these things, I began to cry...again.**

**"...What am I...su-supposed to do?..."**

**Just then, a vision flashed through my mind...But, not like the other ones...This one showed my mom and dad...This was a flashback from my past...I could see them sitting on their bed...Actually,...only my dad was sitting on the bed...My mom was lying on the bed in a pool of blood...She was dead.**

**"Dad!...Wh-What's going on here?"**

**That's when my dad talked to me.**

**"Twilight, honey...Daddy's not going to let the curse get to you, okay...I won't let it get to you...Not like it did to me..."**

**"What? What are you talking about, Daddy?"**

**He then picked up a silver object that had been laying beside him...It was a gun.**

**"Daddy,...what are you...?"**

**He then put the gun in his mouth.**

**"Wait!...DADDY, NO!"**

**POW!**

**He fell onto the bed, landing right beside Mom. A puddle of blood was now starting to form around his head. As tears filled my eyes, the flashback ended. I found myself back in my house...And I was still crying.**

**"What was that about?...Is the curse trying to tell me something...or is it just messing with my mind again?...What is going on?"**

"That makes no sense! Why would Hoofling have these kind of visions?"

_It was then that I realized something I had never realized before. Hoofling had been called Twilight multiple times in the story...Her name was Twilght, too...I knew that this meant something._

"I have to act! I can't just sit around and read while my friends are doing all the dirty work for me!...I've got to go out and figure this book out myself!"

_Little did I know that Rarity was out on a mission doing just that...And, on that mission, she made a shocking discovery_


	18. Chapter 18

**Author's Note: While I'm finishing up with this story, I'm also working on the first **_**Tales From the Library**_**. Check my profile for more details and be sure to catch it when I put it on Fanfiction...And remember: ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN IN THESE FINAL CHAPTERS!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic or The Number 23, the cool movie this story is based on.**

**The Number 22**

**Chapter 18**

_Rarity, unbeknownst to me, had gotten hold of Dr. Whooves' ID card and was headed for the address: Ponyville's abandoned asylum._

"What will I find here? Will it help Twilght...or bring her more suffering?"

_She arrived at the sanatorium, most likely nervous. I mean, how often do you see the town's fashionista walking into a loony bin? It was probably a new experience to her...Since the place was abandoned, she wouldn't have any trouble dealing with any kind of guards...But, as many people who explore abandoned asylums always say, the voices of the past residents can still be heard no matter how long the place has been closed. I read about it in a book...Though, ever since the curse started, I haven't been able to enjoy books anymore...She got in with no trouble at all, the door's lock rusted away. The dark, deserted hallways sent chills up her spine as she slowly made her way to the room at the end. Looking at the empty cells, her mind went wild as she pictured the past residents banging against the bars, screaming to be let out...She finally arrived at the room,...her destination: the main office, shared in the past by the Whooves brothers._

"Okay, Rarity,...you're here...Now, whatever you might find,...I don't want you to panic..."

_She opened the door ever so slowly, not knowing what she might run into...or what might run into her._

"Wait! This-This can't be right!"

_It was just a regular-looking office...Nothing odd about it...Nothing stood out whatsoever...It was as if it was mocking her, daring her to look around only to come up with nothing._

"This can't be the right office!...Maybe I'm at the wrong asylum..."

_But, no...She wasn't mistaken. She was in the right place...The place just didn't have the right answer...But, determined to find something, she still decided to take a small look around...But, just a small look...The dust that had gathered in the room was starting to creep her out...I swear,...she could be such a wuss sometimes._

"Ugh...This room could _certainly _use a woman's touch!"

_She tried the desk drawers, but found them locked. She tried to use her magic, but it had no effect. The Whooves had placed a spell on the keys for them so that nopony could access them but them._

"Darn...You'd _think _he would have given me the keys since he was, after all, _dying_!"

_Suddenly, she noticed a small bulge in the rug. Being the careful and clean person she was, she just couldn't let it stick up like it was. She used her magic, not wanting to touch it with her hooves, to try and straighten it out, but found it was attached to the floor. She picked up the dusty rug, still using her magic, and set it down gently on the other side of the room, not wanting to kick up a massive dust cloud in the room. When she looked back at the floor, she found the bulge to be a handle...attached to a small door in the floor._

"What's this? Could it lead to the basement?"

_She found it to be locked too, but, curious to see what was down there, slammed her hooves hard onto the door. Being old and worn-out wood, it broke with ease. She quickly regained her balance to keep from falling through. Unfortunately, the kick had brought up a large cloud of dust._

"AH! Dreadful dust! Ugh, I hate you!..._Hate you_!"

_She quickly hurried down through the door, desperate to get away from the dirty office. As soon as she got down the steps, she came to a metal door. It had a large metal lock on it. It was emitting a pinkish glow, which meant that it was, like the drawers, enchanted...However, this was a much more powerful enchantment._

"Darn it! I came down here just to find the door locked! Damn it!...NO! I will _not _let Twilight down! Doctor Whooves had to have given me _something_!"

_It turns out he had. He may not have given her the keys to the drawers, but he did give her the key to the door._

"Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!"

_After unlocking the door, she opened it and entered the room. She flicked the light switch on, thankful that it still worked,...and gasped at what she saw._

"What the...?"

_It was totally different from the first room...For starters, it wasn't a rooom...It was a cell...A single bulb,...a blood-red bulb,...cast an eerie, hellish glow around the room, making shadows dance over the walls as if they were demons...There was no type of furniture whatsoever, not even a desk...And, oddest of all, the walls were covered in writing. Upon closer inspection, Rarity found it all to be equations...Equations that all equalled 22._

"Not that number! What could Doctor Whooves possibly want me to gain from seeing all this?"

_She then found that the problems weren't all in the same handwriting...Two different people were in here together...Plus, the problems weren't written very neatly...Some of them overlapped each other, some were written very quickly, and some were a lot bigger than the others._

"Who could be this obsessed with it?...Wait a minute!...It has to be...the Whooves!...But,...how?...How did they come in contact with the curse?...And _why _would they grow so obsessed withi it that they would lock themselves in their own cell?"

_A million questions were probably flashing through her head and the room was most likely freaking her out every minute more that she was in there...It was then that she noticed the box._

"Huh? What could that be for?"

_It was very odd for a box to just be sitting in the middle of a cell. She expected it to be one of the Whooves' lunchboxes...But, when she picked it up,...she was shocked at what it said._

"_Twilight_?"

**Chapter 18**

**Upon Closer Inspection**

_Yes, I know...I said that I should be out trying to figure out the number and that I shouldn't just be sitting around reading the book,...but I really didn't no where else to start...So, I just came back to the book of hell itself._

_**"What could these visions mean?...What are they trying to tell me?"**_

_**"Oh, don't worry about it. They mean nothing to you...They're just popping up in your head because the curse has gotten you all stressed out-"**_

**"SHUT UP! I'm not relying on **_**you **_**to answer my questions!"**

_**"...Think of them as "thought hallucinations."**_

**"YOU'RE NOT EVEN LISTENING TO ME!"**

_**"I am listening to you, Twilight, but I thought you didn't want my opinion on what you did."**_

**"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"**

_**"...You know,...you can't keep resisting us forever...Pretty soon, you're gonna have to give in and, when you do, we'll be right there to guide you to the afterlife..."**_

**"You're messing with my mind! You're trying to distract me from my main goals!"**

_**"And what are your main goals, Twilight?"**_

**"...Well,...um..."**

_**"That is,...if you have any main goals..."**_

_**He was onto something there...I didn't know what to do...I was completely stumped on how to respond to my previous visions...and I was alone.**_

**"I have no one..."**

_**"Aw...You'll always have us, Twilight."**_

**"No...No, I won't! I'm gonna find a way to destroy this curse once and for all! And, when I do, **_**you'll **_**be the one going into the afterlife!"**

_**"Such a bold threat...Can you back it up?..."**_

_**I had no idea...What was I going to do?...Then it hit me.**_

**"I know e**_**xactly **_**what to do!"**

_**It had just hit me. Since I was a long-time researcher, the curse had to mess with me with the main thing my life had been about: books.**_

"Oh, great. Now the book's referencing Discord!"

_**Now it was time to put that statement to the test...I had an old list stored in my room...A list of every single book I had ever read in my life.**_

"Woah! The book knows about my list!"

_**I had known it would come in handy someday,...but I never imagined it would help me with this...I pulled out the incredibly long piece of old parchment, written on by many types of ink, old and new, and skipped to the piece of information I was looking for.**_

**"The **_**22nd **_**book I've read in my life!...**_**My Life: The Story of Celestia."**_

_**Luckily, I still had that old book and I found it on one of my shelves easily. I opened it quickly and began scanning the pages.**_

_**"If I'm right,...every 22nd word on every 22nd page should spell out a message."**_

_**And it did.**_

**"Now, then...If I put all these words together,...I will get...this!...**_**Go to Celestia's Park and you'll find your answer. I warn you, though, Twilight, death awaits you there. Go if you dare.**_**"**

_**I remember when I was a little filly. My daddy would always tell me lessons to remember...I remember one very clearly..."You'll find your answers back where you began."**_

_**"Now that statement's being put to use. Celestia's great-granddaughter was Lady Gumdrops...The one who got me hooked on researching!...And Celestia is the reason I got started on learning magic!.."**_

_**The curse wanted me to go to a place I had never heard of when it had just gotten through taunting me that I wasn't gonna make it through this...I had a feeling not to trust it...But what other choice did I have?**_

"This is crazy! The book's referencing Discord, and talking about not only a secret list that I keep, but a book that I have!"

_I decided to go check out the book...I was gonna try the same thing Hoofling,..or rather "Twilight,"...did...When I finished circling the words, I found it to read the exact same message._

"I've got to go there. It's the only lead I have...Rarity, wherever you are,...wish us luck..."


	19. Chapter 19

**Author's Note: Check out my newest story: **_**MLP: FIM - Tales From the Library Episode 1**_**. (Could become a series if it gets enough reviews.) **

**Disclaimer: I do not own My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic or The Number 23, the cool movie this story is based on.**

**The Number 22**

**Chapter 19**

_Stupid. That's what I though of myself...As soon as I got the curse, I should've thought to go straight to Princess Celestia. I mean, she is the ruler of all Equestria!...But, then I remembered that Celestia had once told me that neither she or her sister Luna had any control over life, death, or the supernatural...And this was definetley the supernatural!...But, still, I wish I could've gotten rid of it before it got too bad...Before it took Doctor Whooves...and Zecora...and Rainbow._

"Oh, Rainbow Dash..."

_My thoughts were still on her. Every day, I missed her even more. But I knew there was no bringing her back. She was gone...and I was just gonna have to except it._

"_Go to Celestia's Park and you'll find your answer. I warn you, though, Twilight, death awaits you there. Go if you dare_...And I do!"

_I was headed for the Royal Palace, desperately wanting answers. My mind knew this was right,...but my heart told me different._

_"What if this is just another wild goose chase? What if the curse is just trying to mess with me again? I mean, it's done it before."_

"No! I've already devised a plan and I'm gonna stick to it!...Even if it kills me!"

_Maybe I'd have been better off if it did...Once arriving at the Palace, I just had to find Celestia's Park...Then, I realized,...I had no idea what that was._

"Celestia's Park? I've never even heard of that! Princess Celestia has a garden and a labyrinth, but I've never heard her mention a park!"

_Suddenly, I bumped into someone. My flank hit the ground hard going down. Since I was already tensed up, I was about to let the pony have it._

"Listen you, why don't you watch where you're going!"

"Sorry, my faithful student."

"I mean, really, you'd think you could see me! I mean, I was right in front of - Wait, what?"

_I looked up to see Princess Celestia! Of all ponies to run into, I was glad it was her...And I just yelled at her._

"Oh, Princess Celestia, I'm so sorry! I didn't know it was you! I-"

_She raised her hoof, signaling me to silence myself._

"It's quite alright, Twilight. I'm always happy to see you...Though, I do have one question: What are you doing here?"

_I thought to myself: Should I tell her everything? I mean, what good would it do? She couldn't do anything to help me...Nopony could! But, still, I thought it would be good to tell her anyway...Maybe, if I did, she would direct me to the Park...After taking about twenty minutes to explain the whole thing, she was left in a state of shock._

"I can't believe this would happen...and to you, of all ponies, Twilight!"

"I know...and I've been going through absolute hell trying to make it through it."

"I was never even told about the deaths of Zecora, Doctor Whooves,...or Rainbow Dash."

_Hearing this, tears began to swell up in my eyes. I knew Princess Celestia could see my crying, but I didn't care. I wanted to let these tears out...They'd been bothering me._

"...Oh, Twilight, I'm...I'm so sorry...If only I were able to do something..."

"No, Princess. It's not your fault. It's nopony's fault. I don't know of anyone who could've stopped it,...but, now, I think _I've _found a way."

"Really? What?"

"Well, a secret message the book directed me to told me to find Celestia's Park...Once I find it, I'll find my answer."

_However, when I looked up at Celestia, expecting her to have something to say, she had a look of horror on her face. She seemed to be staring off into space._

"Um,...Princess? Are you okay?"

_I seemed to snap her out of it. She finally focused her eyes on me,...but she was still in shock._

"Did you say "Celestia's Park?"

"Um,...yes, actually. I was kinda hoping you could shed some light on that."

_Saying this, she shook her head, snapping out of shock. A serious look was now planted on her face._

"...Follow me."

_As soon as she said that, she began walking away at a fast speed. Actually, this was the fastest I had ever seen her walk. I had to sprint to to catch up with her starting out. We went in the direction of the Palace Garden, eventually entering it. It didn't take us long before we finally stopped. However, there was no sign of a park of any kind._

"Um, Princess,...am I missing something? Cause I really don't see anything that-"

_She once again put her hoof up to silence me. She still had that serious look on her face._

"Look closer..."

_I glanced around the Garden. Nothing out of the ordinary._

_"What does she want me to find? I'm not seeing anyth-"_

_Then, I saw it. It looked like a cellar door...Though, there wasn't a building anywhere nearby. Could it be connected to some sort of undergroung tunnel?...A mineshaft, maybe?_

"This is a door that leads to the past...A very horrific past..."

_I didn't know what she meant by that, but I didn't have time to think about it. Using her magic, she broke the lock on the door and then pullled it open. A musty smell instantly filled the air around me._

_"Man, nopony's probably in there for years."_

"Well, go on in."

_Shocked by the sudden command, I was relunctant in doing so. It was very dark and didn't look so safe. But, seeing the seriousness on Celestia's face and not wanting to argue with her, I did as she said. I walked over to the door, noticing there were steps leading down. _

"Go on, Twilight."

_I began going down the stone steps. With every step, a cloud of dust rose up._

_"I was right. This place is downright ancient!"_

_Then, I noticed something familiar about the steps. I couldn't place my hoof on it until I made it all the way down. Before me lied a tunnel, urging me to press on,...but I turned around to see if my thought were correct._

"20...21...22!"

_There were 22 steps...I was definetley on the right track._

"Twilight, is something wrong?"

"Oh no, Princess!"

_She then walked down the steps, soon standing right in front of me._

"Well, then, don't stop now. Keep going."

_I pressed on, curious to see what lied ahead. Soon, we came to a door. I tried it...Locked._

"Um, Princess,...do you have-"

"Yes. I got it."

_Starting up a spell, she lowered her horn to the keyhole. I heard the locks unlock, as if a real key had been placed in it. After doing that, I pushed the door open...and gasped at what I saw. The room looked just like somepony had taken a park, grass and all, and put it in this room. There was a swingset, a slide, and even a merry-go-round. I now knew that this was Celestia's Park...But, I was still confused._

"But, this makes no sense. Why did you put a park inside a room and put the whole thing underground?"

"...Because of the murder."

"Huh?"

"Remember the "Laura Toffee" you told me about?"

"Yeah."

"Well, her body isn't actually buried in the Ponyville Cemetary."

"Really? Then, where is it?"

_The serious look returned to her face and, not answering me, she walked forward. She stopped right by the swings and began using her magic. She pulled a large mound of dirt out of the ground and set it to the side. She then motioned for me to come over there. I did just that._

"Behold...the _real _tomb of Laura Toffee."

_I looked down, not expecting to gag like I did. For there was Laura Toffee's badly-decayed corpse. Maggots were crawling through her eye sockets and into her mouth. Holes were all in her legs and neck. Plus, a family of rats had made a nest in her chest._

"Wh-Why is she down here?"

"Her murderer decided to dispose of her secretley, so he decided to do it in my park."

"But,...I never knew you had a park."

"It was being developed when this happened. It was to be made in my honor for donating some of my royal proceedings to foal hospitals. However, when _she _was found here, the construction crew decided to quit the project. They left her here, though, allowing her to rot."

"But, why didn't you do anything about it?"

"Because the ones who were building it were dragons, therefore, not in my jurisdiction. And it was during that whole "workers rights" campaigning, so,...it would've gotten me kicked off the throne...They did, however, use their magic to bury this site, not wanting it to be messed with anymore, and placed their own magic lock on the door. However, after many years of leaving the spell to rust, it wasn't hard for me to bust it."

"So, basically, if you mess with it, you could lose your position as Princess?"

"Pretty much. But, that's what happens when the world isn't in complete harmony."

_This was pretty major. I didn't care what the Princess said...I was gonna get this known if it was the last thing I did._

**Author's Other Note: I know I haven't done these "Other Notes" in a while, but I need it to make a few points here. (1 I know there wasn't a chapter from the book in here, but I'll be sure to put it in the next chapter. (2 I changed my picture on PonySquare, so it looks different than my picture her. But, if you still want to chat with me on there, go ahead. (3 Be sure to catch the story I mentioned above. (4 I have put the Daring Do story on hold until further demand from you, the readers. (5 Remember: ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN IN THE REST OF THIS STORY!**


	20. Chapter 20

**Author's Note: Thanks to all you who've continued to stick with the story. I want to apologize for the announcement I made in my Daring Do story to anyone who saw it and got offended. It was rude of me to put that and I apologize. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic or The Number 23, the cool movie this story is based on.**

**The Number 22**

**Chapter 20**

**December 9**

**Chapter 19**

**A Shocking Discovery...But No Connection**

**I can't believe what I just found...The dead, decaying body of one of the curse's possible victims...Laura Toffee, who died on her 22nd birthday, was a victim of brutal murder, supposedly by her secret lover. I may have seen a lot of dead bodies as a researcher, but I never really got up close and personal with a decaying corpse. After traveling to the Royal Palace, I found a secret underground park (Celestia's Park) that contained the body. She had been forcefully buried, no marker anywhere around, next to the swings. Her lover had meant to leave her there...He wanted to bury her quickly and make a fast getaway...But, there was still something I didn't get...What did this finding have to do with me beating the curse?**

_**"This makes absolutely no sense."**_

_**"Well, of course it makes absolutely no sense...Because you're not remembering well enough."**_

_**"You! Why would you be helping me? You're a demon that got me to kill Orlando and Dr. Lori...Why should I listen to you about anything?"**_

_**"Sometimes, you have to keep your friends close...and your enemies even closer..."**_

_**"What does that even mean?"**_

_**"See? You're still not thinking well enough! Just ignore the past few things I've been saying and go back to what I originally said! YOU'RE NOT REMEMBERING WELL ENOUGH!"**_

_**"Remembering?...Remembering what?"**_

_**"You'll find out very soon...I gurantee it..."**_

**With that, he fell silent and went away...Something he had never done before.**

**"He wants me to figure this one out on my own...He knows that I know something very important...It's somewhere in the back of my mind...All I have to do is remember what it is?"**

_**"Laura Toffee? Where have I heard her name before?"**_

**I spent hours trying my best to think back, but it just didn't come to me. Finally, out of anger, I punched a glass picture frame hanging on the wall, causing it to fall on the floor and smash into about a hundred pieces.**

**"...Oh...This was taken during our trip to the beach..."**

**It was a picture of me and Orlando...By the looks we had on our faces, we were having the time of our life...Now, though,...that will never be again.**

**"Oh, Orlando...If only I could go back!"**

**Then it hit me.**

**"**_**GO BACK**_**! That's it! I need to go back to Laura's grave! She died by the hooves of her lover and nopony ever found her body. She was never given a proper burial...Well, I am **_**not **_**gonna let her death be in vain! Oh no!"**

**In my mind, I felt that, if I gave her a proper burial, I could somehow erase the memories of the curse during her time...That, in general, could create a paradox where the curse never made it past her and that it died along with her...It was a long shot, but I was willing to try anything.**

"Amazing how these chapters can relate so much to what's actually going on in real life."

_I got home late last night, too tired to do anything else. But I had woken up early this morning to get head start. And, as usual, the book was mirroring what was going on in my life. My plan was the same as Hoofling's. Just like she said, it's a long shot...But, anything's worth a try._

"Rarity, this is Twilight. I'm gonna need you to come with me tonight when nopony can see us...There's something I need you to see"

_After making my phone call, I headed on to the Palace, determined to bring Laura Toffee's body out into the open...and into a proper tomb._

"Twilight, where exactly are we going?"

"Just wait and see, Rarity...Cause this is gonna be shocking..."

_I led her around to the Gardens. I then showed her the door leading underground. Upon seeing, she tensed up. I wouldn't blame her. It was a scary and rather chilly night, shadows being reflected on the ground by the dimly-lit lamps strewn throughout the Palace grounds._

"Um,...uh,.Twilight? I don't think we should be going in there..."

"Why not?"

"Well, it's just that...Well,..I just don't think you thought your plan through that good!"

_I was shocked at her sudden outburst. She tensed up even more, probably expecting me to yell at her. However, it was actually worse than that...She was expecting me to hit her._

"Rarity, what are you doing? I'm not going to hurt you!"

_She untensed herself a little, just enough for her to open her eyes and look at me directly._

"I'm sorry, Twilight. It's just that..."

_She began leaning towards me. I interpreted this as her wanting to tell me a secret. So, I leaned closer to her, allowing her mouth to get near my ear._

"...I'm scared of going underground."

"...Oh...Is that all?"

"Um,...yes..."

"Oh, well, thank goodness! I thought you were trying to hide something!"

"Me? Oh, no, no, no! I would never!..." 

_She began shifting her eyes back and forth, sweating while she did so. I figured she was getting a little scared standing out in the middle of a dark palace ground on a night like this. I know I would...That is, if I was alone._

"Well, don't worry then, Rarity. I'll go get Laura's body myself and I'll bring her back out here. Then, you and me can bring her to the Ponyville Cemetary and give her the proper burial she deserves!"

_I turned and started to open the door when Rarity stopped me._

"Twilight, no! Please don't go in there!"

"Why not?"

"...Um,...because,...I don't wanna be left alone in the dark..."

_The dark side of me created by the curse took over._

"WELL, SORRY, MS. COMPLAIN! I mean, come on! First, you don't wanna go underground, and now you don't wanna stay _above ground_! MAKE UP YOUR FRICKIN' MIND!"

_I couldn't believe what I had just said. Rarity was standing back, shaking in fear._

"Oh my gosh, Rarity! I'm so sorry! I-I don't know what came over me!"

"Oh, th-that's all right, Twilight. It...wasn't really your fault...I mean,...I guess this kind of night can get to anypony..."

_I could tell by the look on her face that she still didn't believe the whole "don't know what came over me." She knew that the curse had momentarily taken over my mind...just like Hoofling._

"...Alrighty, then. I'm just gonna go get her body and I'll be back out in a bit."

_I went down the stairs, all 22 of them, opened the door, (Good thing Celestia broke the lock.) and went over to the spot she had dug up Laura. It wasn't hard to find, since the fresh mound of moved dirt was still visible. I moved it with my magic, expecting to once again find Laura's decaying face staring back at me,...but she wasn't there._


	21. Chapter 21

**Author's Note: I'm sorry about making the last chapter short. This one and the next ones will be longer. Keep on reading and reviewing. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic or The Number 23, the cool movie this story is based on.**

**The Number 22**

**Chapter 21**

**December 10**

_Awaking the next morning, I was eager to start the day...Why?...Because, I knew where Laura's missing corpse was...and who wrote the book._

"How could I have been so stupid? The answer's been right in front of me all along and I haven't even noticed!"

_It had bothered me all last night. The demon and I were having some pretty deep conversations in my dreams...Or should they be called nightmares?_

_"You know it's the truth, Twilight."_

_"I can't believe it. She would never-"_

_"That's exactly your problem! You trust your friends too well! Remember what I told you: You've got to keep your friends close...and your enemies even closer."_

_"No, that's what you told Hoofling!"_

_"Are you any different from her?"_

_"...I guess you've got a point there..."_

_"Don't I always?"_

_I don't know if it was my mind or the demon thinking for me that morning, but, either way, I was ready to find out the truth._

SLAM!

"RARITY! WAKE UP! YOUR LITTLE GAME'S COME TO AN END!"

_I heard an upstairs door slowly open and then close. I saw her sleepily walk down the stairs, rubbing her eyes as she did._

"Ugh, Twilight...Do you have any idea how early-"

"I DON'T CARE! WHAT I'VE GOT TO SAY IS A LOT MORE IMPORTANT THAN YOUR BEAUTY SLEEP!"

_That shook her completely awake, leaving her shaking as if she just stepped in a cold shower._

"Wh-Whatever are you talking about, Twilight?"

"Oh, don't play dumb with me! I know you've got it..."

"Got what?"

"..._Her corpse_..."

_Hearing this, she started sweating and glancing around nervously._

"...Oh-Oh, Twilight,...you know I'd never do...something like that..."

"TELL ME WHERE SHE IS!"

_She automatically ran out of the room. In a few moments, she came back levitating a long chest in the air with her magic. She set it down in front of me. She then took a seat in her chair, a look of defeat lingering on her face._

"Alright, Twi...You got me..."

"I knew it!"

_Using my magic, I opened the chest. Staring back at me was the decaying face of Laura Toffee._

"But,...how did you find out, Twilight?"

"Oh, easy...The demon told me..."

_Hearing this, her eyes opened wide._

"Wh-What else did it tell you?..."

"Well, it didn't really tell me much...We kind of debated..."

"But, on what?"

"That YOU WROTE THE BOOK!"

"...WHAT?"

"That's what I said when he told me...But it makes sense...I mean, _you_ were the one who kidnapped me and took me to Doctor Whooves. _You_ were the one who conviscated the book from me. _You_ were the one who brought Orlando to my secret getaway. And, most recently, _you_ were the one who took Laura's corpse from her secret grave before I could come back and get it...It's all been part of your master plan...You've been trying to keep me away from stopping the curse all along!...But the only thing that doesn't make sense to me is...why? Why would you do this to me? And how do you fit into the curse anyway?"

"...Twilight-"

"I DON'T WANT YOUR EXCUSES! JUST TELL ME WHAT I WANT TO KNOW!"

"...YOU WANNA KNOW THE TRUTH!..."

_She began to cry, tears streaming down her face. She tried to speak, but her throat was in a lump...She was dreading what she was about to tell me...Finally, she managed to choke out what she was trying to say._

"...You wrote the book..."

_My mind went blank...as well as my face. I didn't know how to respond to that. In fact, at first, I thought she was joking with me...That's when I saw the horrified look on her face...She was telling the truth._

"...NO! NO, IT CAN'T BE!"

"I...I'm so sorry, Twilight...But,...it's true..."

"But,...how do you know?"

"When I was with Doctor Whooves in the post office, he gave me his ID card...That night, while you were at home,...I went to the abandoned asylum where he used to work...Once there, I discovered a secret cell underneath him and his brother's office. The number 22 was all over the walls...And, in the center of the cell,..I found a box...with your name on it..."

"What? Why would my name be on that? I've never been to that place in all my life!"

"Well,...inside of it,...I found the original copy of the story...written by you. It was done by typewriter...and it was made just a few years ago..."

_I had absoulutely nothing to say. This was unreal...but I couldn't argue with her. The look on her face was too real to be made up._

"...But,...there's more...Inside the box, there was also an ankle bracelet...It had the name "Laura Toffee" printed on it..."

_This made no sense. Why would her ankle bracelet be in there...in my box._

"Rarity,...if what you're telling me is true,...I don't think me putting Laura's body to rest is gonna solve anything..."

"I...I guess not...But, what we've got to do is find out when you wrote this...and why...But, Twilight,...even if you being the author makes you some kind of psycho...or murderer,...I want you to know that you're still my friend...and me and the girls have got your back..."

_Just then, the memories of the past week came flooding into my mind. From the start of the curse to now, they all crowded my thoughts._

"Twilight, what's wrong? You don't look so good."

"...I...I'm fine, Rarity...AAAAUGGGGG!"

"TWILIGHT!"

_It felt as though my head was on fire. All the thoughts were coming in and out of my mind too fast...The pain was so unbearable that I fell on my knees to the floor._

"MAKE IT STOP!"

"Twilight, calm dow-"

_I swung my hoof at her, landing a punch right across her jaw._

"JUST...SHUT...UP!"

_I ran out of the library as fast as I could and headed straight for the outskirts of Ponyville. I wanted to leave it all behind...I wanted to go back to the place I knew I'd be safe...The hotel...There was something significant about that place, I just knew it...When I got to the outskirts, I didn't stop running. I wanted to get as far as I could before I had to stop and rest...All the while, my mind was spinning...So many thoughts were racing through my head._

_"How is this possilbe?"_

_"How can I be the one who wrote it?"_

_"...Does that make me responsible for everyone's death?"_

_As these thoughts crossed my mind in so many ways, I decided to stop and take a break. I was exhausted from all the running,...but not enough to keep me from finishing the book._

**Chapter 20**

**The Hidden Truth**

**I went back to Celestia's Park, eager to put my plan into action.**

_**"This has got to work. It's just gotta!"**_

**I made it back to her secret grave and began using my magic to lift the dirt out of the ground.**

**"This is so great. Once I put her to rest, I know I'll be able to-"**

**I stopped when I noticed it. I let the dirt I was levitating fall to the ground as I looked closer. Beside Laura's body was a box. Using my magic once again, I levitated it out of the ground. I was shocked by what it said.**

**"**_**Twilight Sparkle**_**?"**

**Why did it have my name on it? Why was there even a box in Laura's grave with my name on it? And, more importantly,...what was inside? I opened it as quickly as I could...All that was in there was an ankle bracelet...An ankle bracelet that read..."Laura Toffee."**

**"Wh-What's this doing in here? Why is my name on this box? I need answers!"**

_**"Isn't it obvious?"**_

**That voice. It was all too familiar...The demon was back.**

_**"What do you mean? What's obvious?"**_

_**"You've got a bigger part in this curse than you think."**_

_**"It seems so,...but what does this bracelet mean?"**_

_**"All shall be revealed...soon..."**_

_**"WAIT!"**_

**But he left, just like last time. I was so angry,...but, at the same time,...I was scared and confused. I started crying, not knowing what to do...Little did I know that, like he said, all would be revealed soon.**

"That chapter was completely useless!"

_"Really? I thought it was rather good...Especially that demon. He's quite a clever character-"_

"OH, SHUT UP! You're about as useless as he is!"

_"Just keep reading...and all shall be revealed. HA HA HA HA!"_

_As much as I wanted to scream at that moment, I shook off his taunting and did as he said._

**Chapter 21**

**The Truth Hurts**

**What was I supposed to be waiting for? I was ready to have all revealed to me! If only the curse would stop being so stubborn and just come right out and tell me!**

**"I'm ready! Please, tell me what you know! I'm desperate!"**

**But, it was no use. The curse wanted me to suffer...and I was...For what seemed like hours, I sat on the ground crying...Then, out of nowhere,...the demon came back.**

_**"Aw, don't cry...At least, not yet."**_

_**"Please...I'm begging you...Tell me what you know..."**_

_**"...The only way to end all of this and find out the truth...is to do the very thing you did to Orlando..."**_

_**"No!...There has to be another way!"**_

_**"I'm sorry,...but I'm afraid there's not."**_

_**"You're screwing with my mind again, you bastard!"**_

_**"Am I? Or are you just too stubborn to try it?"**_

_**"...I..."**_

_**"Don't play dumb with me, Twilight. You've known all along there's no way out...You've just been delaying your destiny..."**_

_**"...Where do you want me to go?..."**_

_**"Go to The Fancy Place hotel...I'll meet you there."**_

"Alright, this has to be meant for the both of us."

_I went ahead and called a taxi. I wasn't gonna get to the hotel walking. It wasn't the same driver as last time, but he still had a look of worry on his face. I ignored him and waited until the ride was over. I payed him, not speaking a word, and went back into the hotel. The desk manager recognized me._

"Well, nice to see you back here."

"Is Room 22 vacant?"

"...Of course."

_He gave me the key and I immediately headed up the stairs. Arriving at the room, I unlocked the door and went inside. I plopped down on the bed and continued to read._

**He left me again. Not wanting to waste any time, I set out for it. It wasn't hard to find. I called Officer Bookworm and he got me the location. It was just on the other side of town. Once there, the demon came back.**

_**"Alright, now I want you to check in. I assume you know which room."**_

**I filled out the papers, got my room key for Number 22, and headed up the stairs to my room. Once there, I noticed the room had its own balcony...I knew then what I had to do...I walked out onto it, the wind rushing to greet me as I did. Looking down, I knew this was what the curse wanted...The demon said that all would be revealed if I did this...But, how would it?**

_**"Just trust me."**_

**Should I?**

_Then it ended. I flipped through the rest of the pages, but they were blank...That was the end of the book._

"What? This can't be! There's got to be more!...WHERE IS IT?"

**Author's Other Note: I made a mistake last chapter by saying that Hoofling killed both Orlando and Dr. Lori. Sorry. By the way, I'm putting an announcement in my stories. I want anyone who read this to go read it as soon as it comes online. Rainbow Dash, Twilight, and I are gonna give you all a heads-up on one of my upcoming projects...And, believe me, it's HUGE. **

**ALL SHALL BE REVEALED IN THE NEXT CHAPTER**


	22. Chapter 22

**Author's Note: I accidentally put December 10 instead of February 10 as the date in the last chapter. Sorry about that. By the way, my announcement for The Elements Initiative is now on Fanfiction. What is The Elements Initiative, you ask? Well, don't sit there wondering...Go read it and find out yourself!...That is, after you read this chapter...Now, the moment you've all been waiting for.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic or The Number 23, the cool movie this story is based on.**

**The Number 22**

**Chapter 21**

_How could it stop on Chapter 21? I mean, the book was called __**The Number 22**__! That made absolutely no sense!...There had to be an explanation._

"Where did Topsy Kretts hide the 22nd chapter?"

_Then I remebered: I was Topsy Kretts. I hadn't really put much thought into it until then. It hit me like a ton of bricks...I was the writer of the very book that had put me through hell for the past nine or ten days._

"...But, why?...Why would I write this book?...And, now that I know what I did,...what do I do now?"

_"Isn't it obvious?"_

_"You! Why are you here?"_

_"You called, didn't you? You asked, "What do I do now?" And, since I am a part of you, I have to help you in any way I can...or want."_

_"No more tricks! I want a straight-out answer. Where's the next chapter?"_

_"Alright, I'll give you a hint, Hoofling-"_

_"DON'T CALL ME THAT!"_

_"Alright, _Twilight_. It is hidden somewhere in this very room."_

_With that, he left me alone._

"In this room?...That doesn't help a whole lot..."

_I immediately started looking everywhere. I checked under the bed, in the closet, in the trash can, in the bedside des, and even in the bathroom. But, after about twenty minutes, I finally gave up._

"Oh, this is hopeless! I've searched every inch of this room and I haven't seen a _word_ of that chapter!"

_I don't know how, but, right then, the wall caught my eye...Well, not the wall, exactly, but the wallpaper. A bit of it was peeling off in the corner of the room. And, behind it, I could barely make out some kind of black markings. I walked over to get a closer look._

"Hmm...It's still kinda hard to see...Maybe if I just pull it back a bit..."

_However, I accidentally pulled back a bigger piece than I had intended. The piece I pulled off was about as big as me. It must have been old. But the size of the piece wasn't what got me._

"These black markings are...words."

_I used my magic to yank all the wallpaper off the wall. What was left was a wall full of words scribbled in black...and in my hoofwriting...I had found the 22nd chapter._

_"Very observative of you, Twilight. With an eye like that, you're sure to make it well...in the afterlife."_

_"I thought you were gone."_

_"I like to pop in and congratulate you when you get one step closer."_

_"One step closer to what?"_

_"...The end..."_

_With that, he left again. Ignoring his last comment, I focused my eyes on the wall. Time to find out Hoofling's choice...and perhaps mine._

**Chapter 22**

**The End**

**Note to Reader: This story is being written before these events take place. But, be aware...they **_**will **_**happen.**

**Have you ever had your life flash before your eyes?...Your past comes rushing at you at the speed of light, faster than you can comprehend...Yet, at the same time,...you feel a state of peace...That's what I was going through right then...I had decided to trust the demon and jump...And, he was right. This was the one and only way to get out of this. Not only was the curse dying with me, but my life was flashing back to me, revealing everything I wanted to know.**

**My dad had inherited the curse, possibly getting it from one of his customers he talked to as an accountant. The curse had done just like it did to me: It drove him crazy, tempting him every day, until, finally, it took him over and made him shoot my mom. Overridden with guilt and sadness, he shot himself...right after talking to me. Just like he had in my vision...He hadn't only shot himself because of the guilt...He did it so the curse wouldn't get me...After growing up, I started my career as a researcher. However, because of my father, I became obsessed with the number 22. It had taken him away from me and I wanted to know what **_**it **_**was. During my later years, I met a female named Laura Toffee. We became friends easily, both of us liking the same things and enjoying each other's company. Back then, because of my research, I hadn't had any time for romantic relationships. So, because of that, I started having feelings for her...That's right...Back then, because of my lack of experience,...I figured anypony counted, no matter which gender. When I asked her out, she was shocked at first, but, after a few minutes of talking, accepted. We had a fun time and, after finishing dinner, went back to my place. We slept together that night, immediately securing a tight relationship. I gave her an ankle bracelet as a present. I told her to wear it every time we were together. However, I eventually began to notice the number 22 in my life...a lot. I began seeing it everywhere...and that's when it happened. I became even more obsessed with it than before...So obsessed that it cut into my relationship with Laura. So, not liking the new me, she began sleeping with her professor. I didn't catch on until later,...when I caught them in the act. I told her that, because of the curse affecting my mind, that it would force me to go after her. She stood her ground and dared me to kill her, saying that she didn't love me anymore. I wasn't going to, but, when I saw that she had been wearing her ankle bracelet while sleeping with the professor, my dark side took over and I stabbed her repeatedly. Nopony was watching,...**_**but**_**,...there was a dog watching from outside...Ned was his name. The professor was the first to walk into the room. He picked up the knife, putting his hoofprints on it. With that evidence, the police convicted him of the crime. The police tried to find the body, but I had made off with it before even the professor got there. I buried her in Celestia's Park, a forbidden area where nopony would think to look...I didn't realize that Ned had followed me there...I didn't bother going to the funeral, but I'm sure Ned was there. Eventually, I regained my sanity. Feeling horrible for what'd I'd done, I traveled to The Fancy Place hotel, wrote **_**The Number 22**_**, placing the 22nd chapter on the wall of the room, and then jumped off the balcony...However,...I survived. I was found by some random civilian and taken to the emergency room. Eventually, though, I was transported to the local mental institution. I was placed under the care of the Whooves brothers, the town's leading doctors. I had suffered severe head injuries and, because of that, had developed memory loss. I couldn't remember anything past my childhood. I forgot about Daddy's suicide, Laura,...and the curse...And, unfortunately, I had left my mark on the hospital...Particularly, the Whooves brothers. For the police had searched my hotel room and conviscated everything that was mine,...including the book. Upon showing it to the doctors, the Whooves brothers became intrigued by it and decided to look into it. However, upon beginning it, they became obsessed with the number and started going into a secret cell under their office to calculate some formulas that would equal the number. They eventually had it published under the name "Topsy Kretts."...Upon leaving the institution, I met Orlando and began my life over.**

**Amazing what life gives you,...isn't it?**

**22**

_I couldn't believe it...Everything was so clear now...All my questions had been answered,...except whether to kill myself or not._

"TWILIGHT!"

_I couldn't recognize the voice at first,...until I really thought about it. It was a voice I hadn't heard in a while...Then, I remembered._

"Orlando?"

_The door burst open to reveal the tall, handsome stallion...My past lover._

"DON'T DO IT! THIS ISN'T THE WAY!"

_At first, I was overjoyed to see somepony I knew...But, then, my joy was replaced with rage as I remembered what he had done to me._

"...HOW DARE YOU SHOW YOUR FACE IN FRONT OF ME?"

"Wh-What?"

"How could you? I loved you and gave you a second chance to impress me...To love me back...And you betrayed me by having an affair with Lori!"

"Tw-Twilight,...that's one reason I came...I-I've come to tell you that...it wasn't all me..."

"OH, SURE! LIKE I'M GONNA BELIEVE _ANYTHING _YOU SAY!"

"It's true, Twilight."

_That statement came from another voice...One I knew all too well._

"Rarity?"

"Yes, Twilight...Me and the girls are here for you..."

_I saw her come throught the open door, followed by the other four. Once she stepped into the light, I noticed her swollen jaw...It was all because of me._

"As I was saying, Orlando is telling the truth, Twilight. We ran into him just the other day. After calling him numerous names and telling him just how mad he'd made us, we found he had no memory of cheating on you. So, using a spell I learned, we all discovered he was telling the truth. The curse had taken him over and made him do it to trip you up."

"You gotta believe me, Twi...I would never do anything like that...Not to you...I'm not the same guy I used to be...I've changed...Because, now,...I think I'm in love with you..."

_I didn't know what to think about all of this. It was all coming to fast. Part of me wanted to embrace them all with a hug while the other wanted me to jump off the balcony._

"...I...I can't do this!...None of you can come back into my life! You'd be putting yourselves in danger just being around me!...It'd be best if you all just left me alone!"

"But, Twilight, we-"

"I DON'T WANNA HAVE TO KILL YOU!"

_Saying this, I started sobbing tremendously, striking the girls with fear...Orlando, hoever, had a firm look on his face. He stepped right up to me and stood his ground._

"Fine, then...If you think you could do that to somepony you love,...then kill me."

"...Orlando, no!"

"This is the only way to prove who's stronger: you or the curse. So, come on. Do it!"

_I couldn't...This was all too much...and I didn't have a way out._

_"Oh, there's always a way out...You just have to...trust me..."_

"NNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

_Letting that scream escape from my lips, I ran past Orlando and toward the door. Using my magic to push them aside, I rushed past my friends and headed downstairs. I could hear them calling for me, but I just ignored them. I needed to get away...Away from it all...Once outside, I began running across the street...That's when I saw it...The bus that had almost ran over Applejack the other day...The Number 22 bus...It was coming right at me. I was about to be killed...And I was glad...I could finally rid myself and everypony else of this curse once and for all...So what if I had to die for it? It's all for a good cause._

"TWILIGHT, NO!"

_I kept ignoring them and waited. As the bus drew closer, I could feel it...This was the right thing to do...But, then,...it was as if time stood still,...because I noticed sompony standing on the side of the street, across from the hotel...It was Rainbow Dash._

"What am I doing?"

_I leapt out of the way at the last second, the bus zooming past me. I fell onto the curb, landing in a puddle. I looked up at the sky, only to have the stars blocked by a cyan blue pegasus._

"I'm proud of you, Twi."

_Immediately, I stood up and tackled Rainbow Dash with a hug. I didn't know how it was possible, but she was here,...alive and real! My friends rushed over to see me, but stopped in their tracks when they saw Dash. Rarity almost fainted, but I caught her with my magic. After a few minutes of recovering, which involved lots of hugging, I finally got down to asking Dash the big question._

"What happened to you, Dash? How are you still alive? I saw you jump off the balcony! You were pronounced dead!"

"Yep, I was...But, because of all my years as an athlete, it seems my body's a heck of a lot tougher than you'd think. It's true that my heart stopped when I was placed into the ambulanc, but a few shocks of the defibulator got my blood pumping again. Although, after they got me awake, they put me on a ton of medication and kept me in the hospital a few days, most of the time me being asleep. They wouldn't let me use the phone to call my friends because, for some odd reason, they didn't think I was "phone-able."...Doctors can be dumb sometimes. So, anyways, I got out of the hospital just a few hours ago and came looking for you guys. But, when I tried your houses, they were all locked. So, I came looking for you here, thinking Twilight might've been having another episode...Looks like I was right."

"Yeah...And, I'm sorry, Dash."

"Why are you apologizing? You haven't done anything. You've been a victim, Twilight, just like everypony else. We still love you and will help you anyway we can,...because-"

"We're your bestest friends in the wholey, woley, wide world!" yelled Pinkie Pie, who seemed to have gotten her spirit lifted.

"Well,...then I guess it's over..."

"Perhaps," spoke Orlando, "But,...not for _everything_."

"What do you mean by tha-"

_He interupted me by kissing me. After keeping our lips locked for a few moments, embracing every second of it, we released each other and stared lovingly into each other's eyes._

"You're right...This could be the start of something."

_Everything ended well that night. It was all over. The curse, the sadness, and the mystery. We had our friend back, I had my love back, but, most of all, we all had our lives back...But, still,...it seemed like there was still something missing._

"OH MY GOSH! We forgot about Mrs. Cake!"

_Everypony gasped, looking at each other worringly. Finally, Rainbow Dash spoke up._

"Eh, she can survive another day in prison."

_Hearing this, we all burst out laughing,...ending the night of February 10th...and starting a new life._

**THIS ISN'T THE END!****I WILL MAKE AN EPILOGUE AND POST IT SOON! DON'T MISS IT! AND BE SURE TO READ MY ANNOUNCEMENT!**


	23. Chapter 23

**Author's Note: This is the final chapter in the story. Thanks to all of you who've stuck by it. I'm surprised by how many reviews it's recieved. After finishing this, read my announcement in My Stories. It tells of the upcoming "Elements Initiative" franchise I'm working on. Make sure you spread the word about it and this one as well. Also, I once again labeled the last chapter wrong. It was 22, not 21. I've made that mistake a lot and I'm sorry I have to keep pointing it out. Again, thanks for everything.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic or The Number 23, the cool movie this story is based on .**

**The Number 22**

**Chapter 23**

**February 11**

_I couldn't believe it...I was happy. For the first time since I got the book,...I was completely, one-hundred percent happy. Me and the girls decided to leave the previous events behind us and never speak of them again. I was especially grateful to Rarity for forgiving me for punching her._

"Don't worry about it, Twilight. You had no control over your actions."

"Thanks, Rare."

_That morning, I turned myself into the police. My friends disagreed with what I was doing, but I felt that, with all that had happened, it was the right thing to do. Everypony in Ponyville, and even Canterlot, was shocked to hear the news._

"My dear subjects," announced Princess Celestia, "My faithful student, Twilight Sparkle, has just confessed to the killing of Laura Toffee. She was taken into custody, but, because of her honest confession, has been allowed to return home and wait until her trial later this week."

_I thought they would go easy on me since I just came out and confessed doing it to them. Maybe, at the least, I would get a year in jail...Plenty of time to reflect on what I'd done._

"Don't worry, Twilight," said Rainbow Dash, "No matter what happens, we'll be by your side all the way through this."

"Thanks."

_I was relieved that Rainbow Dash survived. Seems the curse didn't expect that...Though,...it still managed to get Zecora and the Whooves Brothers...But, I've already got that taken care of. Using my one phone call, I dialed the local funeral home to prepare a funeral. Whose funeral?...Laura Toffee's...With the Princess' permission, I had Laura's body moved to the local Ponyville Cemetary,...where it belonged. Everypony in Ponyville, including me, and almost all of Canterlot attended it. I'll bet she wouldn't have expected that turnout. However, nopony ever did notice Ned standing outside the Cemetary, looking in on the funeral...And, guess what else?...The professor that was framed for her death was released from prison the other day. That measns he can finally continue his life the way he wants to. I believe I saw him at the funeral, but I'm not for certain...Orlando got Dr. Lori to apologize to me for what she did. I forgave her and we've been friends ever since...As for me and Orlando,...well,...let's just say our relationship got a redo._

"I love you, Twilight."

"I love you too, Orlando...And, this time,...you won't ever let me go, will you?"

"Never."

_That's what we said to each other as we made love to each other in the library after the funeral...What? It seemed like a good time...However, neither of us prepared for what happened next._

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

"Now, who could that be, Twilight?"

"I don't know. I'm not expecting anypony?"

_I went to the door and opened it slowly. I was shocked at who I saw._

"Of course you weren't expecting some_pony_. You were expecting some_dragon_!"

"SPIKE!"

_He had finally returned home from his business in Canterlot. Apparently, he could've stayed a little bit longer, but, once he heard the news of my arrest, he rushed straight home to see me._

"I'm so glad you're here!"

"It's good to see you too, Twilight. What's been happening while I've been gone?"

"You do _not _wanna know."

"Alright...Wait,...who is that?"

"Oh,...uh...This is Orlando...He's my,...um..."

"I'm her coltfriend."

"...Yeah...That..."

"...Well, then...Since you two are busy, I guess I'm gonna...go say hi to the rest of the girls. Good? Okay, then bye!"

_With that, he rushed outside, slamming the door behind him. We laughed at his reaction...What? It was funny._

"Hey, Twilight!"

_Rainbow Dash always had a knack for entering my house uninvited,...but she never seemed to notice._

"What, Rainbow? Can't you see I've kinda got some..._company_."

_She looked past me at Orlando. He smiled and waved weakly at her. She gave him a stern look and then turned back to me, ignoring him._

"Look, you can worry about making out later. Right now, you've got to come to the Boutique."

"Why? What's going on?"

"There's somepony there who wants to talk to you."

"Who?"

"...Princess Luna..."

_With that, all three of us immediately rushed towards the Botique. If the Princess of the Night needed to talk to me, then whatever she had to say was very important. We arrived there quickly and walked inside. The rest of the girls were there. Luna was standing in the middle of the room, her dark mane flowing behind her as if a draft had flown into the room._

"Thank you for coming, Twilight Sparkle," she said without even turning her head, "Please sit. I have something important to discuss with you."

_I did as she said, looking over at the girls as I did. They all had confused looks on their faces. Rainbow Dash and Orlando walked over to join them, the two staying far away from each other. Apparentley, Dash still didn't trust him one-hundred percent...and that made him scared to death of her. I mean, come on, she's the fastest flyer in all of Equestria...and one of the hardest trainers...She can be pretty menacing._

"How have you been doing today?" asked Luna.

"Oh,...fine."

"Good...Now, Twilight,...you've been going through a lot lately,...haven't you?"

"Oh,...yes...Yes, I have."

"Well, me and the researchers at the Palace have been doing some research into this curse you recentley acquired."

"Acquired _and defeated_."

"Yes...We've not been able to track its origin, but we have concluded that it has indeed been passed down for many centuries."

"Centuries?"

"What you've been dealing with is no ordinary curse, Twilight...It's far more dangerous..."

"Tell me about it. It made me hurt my friends, both physically and emotionally. It made me hallucinate...It almost caused me to go insane..."

"...I'm terribly sorry, Twilight. I can't even imagine all you've had to go through...But, the main reason I called you here was to ask you a question."

"Yes, Princess?"

"...Did you know that it was Daylight Savings Time?"

"...What? What does that have to do with anyth-"

_Then I remembered. On the night I read the third chapter, the clock read 10:22, 22:22 in military time. But, if it was Daylight Savings Time, it would've read _11_:22, 23:22 in military time._

"But,...I mean, it still had 22 at the end of it. That being said, there's nothing wrong with the curse not getting me at _every_ angle-"

"Think back to the other times."

_Back in Mr. Bookworm's store, his clock read 2:22. Mr. Bookworm always had a tendency to forget things, especially dates of the year. So, the clock should've actually read 3:22...That's 2:23 backwards...There's that number again...23._

"And don't forget about your name."

_My name? What about it?...Then I remembered. I told my friends my name was Twilight Mary Ann Sparkle...But, I was wrong. I must've been so worked up in the curse that I forgot the "Ann" in my name has an "e" at the end...So, instead of having 22 letters,...my name has 23 letters in it._

"Your birthday."

_I was born on February 2nd at 12:11 A.M...Wait? 12:11 A.M.? That's right! Me and my family had always confused my birthday. Since it was still night when my mom gave birth to me, she always considered my birthday to be on the 2nd,...when it was actually on the _3_rd...2/3...And I was born at 12:11 A.M.! 12 plus 11 equals 23!_

"And let's not forget the windows in your home."

_My windows...I had 4 that split into 4 sections and one window by itself. 4 times 4 plus 1 plus the altogether 5 windows equals 22...Then I remembered Spike's window...When he was little, he wanted a window by his bed, so he got a blue crayon and drew a window on the wall. We've left it on their ever since...It was a single window with no sections...That's an extra window! 22 plus 1 is...23._

"Um, Princess," asked Applejack nervously, "Where exactly are you going with all this?"

"Twilight will explain it all,...wont' you, Twilight."

_But I didn't respond. The memories of the past days were coming back to me in a flash. All the calculations I did were wrong...Sure, the 22 book Dr. Lori gave me had been right, but it was a distraction from my _real _problem...The bus that almost ran over me and Applejack was Number 122, not 22. And 22 plus 1 is 23...22 hadn't been trying to kill me..._23 _had._

"Um, Twilight," asked Fluttershy, "Are-Are you...feeling okay?..."

_"No, I'm afraid she's not."_

_That voice._

_"NO! What are _you _doing back in my mind?"_

_"Well, I have to make time for my favorite mare."_

_"I AM _NOT _YOUR FAVORITE MARE!"_

_"So mean-spirited...Is something bothering you?"_

_"You know what's bothering me!...All of this!...This-This is crazy!...It just can't be right!"_

_"Well, didn't I tell you expect the unexpected?...If not, then...NOW'S AS GOOD A TIME AS ANY! HA HA HA HA!"_

"Um, Twilight, hello?...Are you feeling okay?"

_It took me almost two minutes to finally respond to the Princess...My mind was somewhere else, busy processing all of this...The curse had tried to trip me up with the number 22,...while the _real _horror was happening not far away...When I acquired the curse, I didn't get the same one...I got an advanced version of it._

"TWILIGHT!'

"Huh?...Oh, yeah...Princess,...you're right..."

"Right?" asked the girls simultaneously, "Right about what?""

"...Twilight didn't get rid of the 22 curse...She never had it to begin with..."

"WHAT?" they all shouted.

"But, that's impossible," shouted Applejack, "We all know what it's done to Twilight. This can't be right!"

"Oh, but it is."

_Orlando walked over to me,...but I didn't notice. I was too busy staring into my own mind, trying to tell myself the Princess was wrong and that my life was going to get better._

"Twilight,...I-"

_I held up my hoof to silence him._

"Orlando...I know you and all the other girls love me and would do anything to help me..."

"Yes! You know we would!"

"Well, that being said, I want you to do one thing for me..."

"Sure, anything!"

"...Tell me what time it is..."

_With that, he immediately glanced down at his watch. But, as soon as he did, his eyes widened and he started to sweat._

"What is it?"

"Well,...um,..-"

"WHAT TIME IS IT?"

"...2:23..."

"NNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

**The 23 End?**

**Author's Note: Did you ever notice that all my other Author's Notes had amounts of numbers in them divisible by 22?...Well, except for the two in this chapter...Their amounts are divisible by 23! Ha!...So, what a crazy twist ending that was, huh? Did you like the overall story? Tell me in a comment or personal message...and don't forget to read my "Elements Inititative" Announcement. Rock on, everypony!**


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